Looking for a new way to spice up brussels sprouts? Well, look no further! We’re going to teach you a modern twist on an old favorite. And it all starts with pesto.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

This Cranberry Pistachio Pesto recipe is from Chef Todd of Checkers Restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles, right inside the Hilton Hotel.

In addition to serving this pesto with roasted brussels sprouts, he also pairs it with an Open Faced Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Baby Arugula…

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

and a cheese plate using Roasted Beets and Humboldt Fog Cheese.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

 

How to Make Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

Ingredients:

Brussels Sprouts
  • 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
Cranberry Pistachio Pesto
  • 1/3 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 cloves garlic or 3 cloves roasted garlic
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cups olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Steps

Brussels Sprouts
  • Cut off the knobby end of the brussels sprouts and pull off any loose outer leaves. Cut the brussels sprouts in half, lengthwise. Toss with olive oil.
  • On a baking sheet, spread the brussels sprouts evenly and roast for 20-25 minutes, until you begin to see a bit of browning on the brussels sprouts. The interior should be fork tender.
Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

Place the pistachios, cranberries, garlic and parsley into a food processor and let that baby run until the ingredients are finely chopped. Keep the motor running and add in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

Here’s the important part: After you turn off the food processor, spoon out the pesto into a bowl and stir in the remaining olive oil by hand. If you try to add all of the olive oil into the food processor, it will become too thick and turn into a “paste” rather than a pesto.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

Did you love this recipe? Leave a reply in the comments and let us know what you think!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pistachio Pesto Recipe

Jaden
This recipe is from Chef Todd Allison at Checkers Restaurant in the Los Angeles Hilton Hotel. This recipe makes double the amount of Cranberry Pistachio Pesto, so that you can reserve the remainder to serve on sandwiches or on a cheese plate. Alternatively, you can freeze the extra pesto.
4.86 from 7 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people
Calories 219 kcal

Ingredients
  

For Brussels Sprouts

  • 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

For Pesto

  • 1/3 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios if you use salted pistachios, remember to taste pesto before salting at end.
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 cloves garlic or 3 cloves roasted garlic
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cups olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
  • Cut off the knobby end of the brussels sprouts and pull off any loose outer leaves. Cut the brussels sprouts in half, lengthwise. Toss with olive oil.
  • On a baking sheet, spread the brussels sprouts evenly and roast for 20-25 minutes, until you begin to see a bit of browning on the brussels sprouts. The interior should be fork tender.
  • Place the pistachios, cranberries, garlic and parsley into a food processor and process until very finely chopped. While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in only 2 TABLESPOONS of the olive oil. Spoon out the pesto into a bowl and stir in remaining olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. The pesto should be slightly sweet and salty. If the pesto is too thick, you can stir in more olive oil. 
  • Lightly season the brussels sprouts with salt and pepper. Toss with just 1/4 cup of the Cranberry Pistachio Pesto on top. Reserve remaining pesto for other uses.

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 30mgPotassium: 486mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1065IUVitamin C: 99.9mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!