If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love all kinds of nuts. That’s why I absolutely loved this pasta with mortadella and pistachios. It’s a very easy and pretty quick dish to prepare. The delicate flavor of mortadella perfectly complements the pistachio pesto, creating a dish that, in my opinion, always deserves seconds. Don’t skip the lemon zest, as it adds a wonderful touch!

Other first courses with mortadella that might interest you:

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Medium
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 4 people
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients for Pasta with Mortadella and Pistachios

12 oz short pasta (any shape you like)
7 oz mortadella (in one slice)
1/2 cup pistachios (shelled)
1/3 cup Grana Padano PDO (or Parmigiano)
zest of a quarter of a lemon (untreated)
2 tbsp butter
salt
black pepper

Tools

1 Food processor
1 Pot
1 Pan
1 Colander
1 Small bowl

Preparation of Pasta with Mortadella and Pistachios

Cut the mortadella into cubes and set aside.
In a food processor, add the pistachios, cheese pieces, lemon zest (without the white part), and a generous grind of black pepper. Use an untreated lemon because common lemons’ peels are not edible.
Pulse until you obtain a fairly fine powder. Don’t worry if there are a few bigger pieces left.
Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
In a pot, bring plenty of salted water to a boil. When it boils, add the pasta and remove a ladle of cooking water to use for thinning the pistachio and cheese mixture: gradually add this water until you achieve the desired consistency.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt a knob of butter before adding the mortadella cubes.
Let them brown for a few minutes, then add the pistachio pesto. If necessary, thin the sauce with a few more tablespoons of cooking water.
Drain the pasta al dente but without overdraining it and transfer it directly to the pan with the sauce. Mix well all the ingredients and let them flavor, stirring for a few moments over low heat.
Serve the pasta with mortadella and pistachios on individual plates, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, and serve immediately, piping hot. Enjoy! Paola.
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