Pasta with Fennel, Green Olive and Pistachio Pesto

• servings: 4 to 6
• total time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients

1 pound penne OR ziti OR rigatoni pasta

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

½ cup raw pistachios

2 ounces (without rind) Parmesan cheese, cut into rough 1-inch pieces, plus finely grated Parmesan to serve

½ cup pitted green olives

½ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted

Directions

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain in a colander and return to the pot.

While the pasta cooks, in a food processor, combine the pistachios, Parmesan and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Process until the mixture resembles coarse sand, 10 to 20 seconds. Add the olives, parsley, oil, garlic and fennel seeds; process, scraping the bowl as needed, until almost completely smooth, about another 20 seconds.

Add the pesto to the pasta in the pot along with 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, then toss; add more reserved pasta water as needed so the pesto coats the noodles. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

Notes

With green olives and Parmesan cheese, this pesto is especially rich in umami, and the pistachios balance the saltiness with their gentle sweetness. It’s not only for pasta, though—it’s also delicious spread onto sandwiches or served as a relish with roasted vegetables or chicken. If you like, make the pesto ahead; it will keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.