Place the washed and dried basil, olive oil, a pinch of salt, Parmesan cheese, half of the pistachios, and the piece of garlic in a blender. Blend until smooth.

In a separate pot, bring water to a boil for the pasta.

If the pesto is too thick, add a ladle of the pasta cooking water. Chop the remaining pistachios with a knife and lightly toast them in a nonstick pan.

Add the pasta to the boiling water. When it's al dente, toss it in a pan with the pesto and a ladle of the pasta cooking water, off the heat.

Garnish with the toasted chopped pistachios and fresh basil.