Ingredients:

2 cups fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/3 cup shelled pistachios

1/3 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Water as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a food processor, combine the parsley leaves, garlic and pistachios; pulse to combine.

With the motor on, add the olive oil and process until mixture is smooth. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. Add water as needed so the pesto ha s the consistency of thin, grainy mustard. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to use.

Parsley is inexpensive — only about 90 cents for a good-size bunch — and hardy, lasting at least a week in the refrigerator. (Keep it in a quart canning jar with stems in water.)

For today’s parsley pesto, pistachios replaced the typical pine nuts or walnuts because I had some stashed in the freezer.

Pistachios have come a long way from the days when their shells were dyed red to hide imperfections. Pistachios are naturally beige, and you can now buy them already shelled in many grocery stores.

Just a few simple ingredients — parsley, pistachios, cheese, oil and garlic — make this a terrific topping for lamb chops, fish and, of course, pasta.