Sometimes you have so many herbs in your garden, you don’t know what to do with them all! Although I currently have a lot of basil in my garden, I also have a lot of mint, parsley, and chives. Traditional pesto is delicious, but I wanted to try something different with the other herbs in my garden. This mint pistachio pesto is quick and easy to make and tastes great with a bowl of penne on a hot summer day!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Mint Leaves
• 3/4 cup Raw Pistachios
• 1/3 cup Parsley, stems removed
• 1/2 cup Chives
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tsp. Hot Pepper Flakes
• 1 cup Pecorino Cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 oz. Penne

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

In a blender or food processor, pour in the olive oil and add in the garlic, parsley, mint, chives, hot pepper flakes, and half cup of the pistachios. Blend until a paste.

Meanwhile, add the penne to the pot of boiling water and cook as per the package instructions. Reserve a cup of the pasta water. Strain the penne once cooked and place in a large bowl.

Add half a cup of pasta water to the blended mint pesto and mix.

Pour the mint pistachio pesto over the penne. Sprinkle half a cup of pecorino cheese on top and mix together.

Serve with a sprinkle of the remaining cheese and pistachios on top.