Place ¼ cup pistachios, 2 tbsp. Parmesan-Reggiano, ¾ cup basil, 2 tsp. lemon zest, dill, chive, garlic paste, salt and pepper in a mini food processor. Cover and process just until mixture is coarsely chopped. With food processor running, slowly pour in olive oil in a thin, steady stream. Continue processing until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
Recipe
Author
Hy-Vee Test Kitchen
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Description
Quickly prepare a fresh-herb pesto with pistachio nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, basil and dill, then combine it with cream cheese for a delicious way to impress your guests. Best yet, you can make this cheese ball up to 2 days in advance with minimum prep right before serving.
Servings and Ingredients
Ingredients
Serves 24
| Quantity | Ingredient | Add |
|---|---|---|
| ½ c. shelled raw pistachios, divided | ||
| 4 tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese chunk, divided | ||
| 1 ¼ c. tightly packed fresh basil leaves, divided | ||
| 3 tsp. lemon zest, divided | ||
| 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh dill | ||
| 1 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh chives | ||
| 2 tsp. refrigerated garlic paste | ||
| ½ tsp. coarsely ground Hy-Vee sea salt | ||
| ¼ tsp. coarsely ground Hy-Vee black pepper | ||
| ½ c. Gustare Vita olive oil | ||
| 2 (8-oz.) pkg. Hy-Vee cream cheese, softened and cut up | ||
| Basket & Bushel mini sweet peppers, halved and seeded; for serving | ||
| Hy-Vee Bakery baguette, slice and toasted; for serving |
Things To Grab
- Mini food processor
- Silicone spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Small bowl
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Small plate
- Small metal spoon
- Serving tray
Directions
Add cream cheese to mixture in food processor. Cover and process until desired consistency.
Transfer cheese mixture to the center of a large piece of plastic wrap. Bring up sides of plastic wrap to form mixture into a ball. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
To serve, finely chop remaining ½ cup basil, ¼ cup pistachios, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan-Reggiano and 1 tsp. lemon zest; stir together on a small plate and set aside. Remove plastic wrap from cheese ball. Smooth side of cheese ball with the back of a metal spoon (cheese ball will be soft). Gently roll the cheese ball in basil mixture to coat.
Transfer cheese ball to a serving tray; serve with mini sweet peppers and toasted baguette slices.
Nutrition facts
Servings
120 Calories per serving
2 Tbsp.
Amounts Per Serving
- Total Fat: 12g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
- Sodium: 125mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 2g
- Protein: 2g
Daily Values
0%
Iron 0%
0%
Calcium 2%
0%
Vitamin D 0%
0%
Potassium 0%