The Neapolitan pisto is a spice mix used in some traditional Campanian sweets, such as mostaccioli, rococò, and susumelle, all characteristic Christmas sweets. Very common in Neapolitan gastronomy, pisto is harder to find elsewhere, but we can make it at home with a few simple steps. Just crush the spices in a mortar and briefly toast them in a pan, so they release all their aroma; the spice mix obtained in this way can be kept for several months closed in a hermetic jar.
Although there are some differences among the various recipes, the spices that absolutely must not be missing in pisto are cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Other spices are often added to make the taste of the pisto rounder and more aromatic: pepper, star anise, and coriander. These expertly measured spices ensure an extraordinary taste for sweets like mostaccioli and rococò, which would not have their characteristic flavor without pisto. Besides these sweets, you can use pisto to prepare a spice bread, or add it to the dough of cookies, cakes, or plum cakes to make them special.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 30 g
- Cooking methods: No cooking required
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients for 30 g of Neapolitan pisto
- 0.5 oz ground cinnamon
- 0.2 oz pepper
- 0.2 oz nutmeg
- 0.07 oz cloves
- 0.07 oz star anise
- 0.07 oz coriander seeds
Tools
- 1 Mortar small with pestle
- 1 Pan small non-stick
How to prepare Neapolitan pisto for rococò and Christmas sweets
To prepare the pisto, start by placing the non-powdered spices in the mortar: star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds (1). Crush everything thoroughly with the pestle (2) until you obtain a powder (3).
Then add the other ingredients: ground cinnamon, ground pepper, and grated nutmeg (4). Pound again for about a minute to obtain a very fine spice mix (5).
At this point, you can toast the pisto in a pan: it’s not essential, but it helps to better release the aromas. It might be better to do it when you’re ready to use it and only for the amount of pisto you will be using. To avoid burning it, I suggest heating a small non-stick pan well on the stove; then turn off the burner and pour in the pisto, letting it toast for just a few seconds (6).
You can use the pisto for your Christmas sweets in the amounts indicated in the individual recipes or add it to the dough of various desserts – bundt cakes, cookies, pies – to give them a pleasantly spiced note.
How to store homemade pisto
You can store pisto in a glass jar with an airtight seal; in a cool and dry place, it will last for several months.
Tips
To prepare pisto, it is best to use a marble mortar and tools that do not absorb the smell of spices (avoid porous wood and plastic).
What can I use instead of a mortar?
If you don’t have a mortar, you can prepare pisto using a coffee grinder or a chopper, as long as it has a small-sized cup, otherwise, you’ll struggle to grind small quantities of spices well.
