Creamy pistachio pasta: Discover the goodness of Sicilian ‘green gold’ dressed lightly. For our sauce I used sheep ricotta, but if you prefer a richer sauce you can replace the ricotta with cooking cream or béchamel.
You will find the recipe with the blender procedure and also with the Bimby (Thermomix).
This sauce is also suitable for making lasagna pie with Bronte pistachios.
Let’s learn about this wonder:
Bronte pistachio is known and appreciated worldwide, distinguishable from other pistachios by the typical purplish shades on the outer skin that covers the seed, for its unique aroma and characteristic emerald-green color, while others are more yellowish.
Bronte pistachios grow on the slopes of Mount Etna, in the province of Catania, in rugged soils rich in ash. Here, Sicily’s green gold is cultivated without fertilizers or chemical treatments, harvesting the precious fruits in alternate years.
The pistachio harvest, which takes place between late August and early October, involves the whole population who gather the precious fruits by hand in rough, steep terrain, climbing among branches and lava rocks.
Within a few hours of harvesting, the seed is separated from the outer hull and dried at about 104°F to remove moisture.
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- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian regional
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Let’s go shopping
- 12 oz pasta
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (grated)
- 1 1/4 cups Bronte pistachios PDO
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup sheep ricotta
- 1 clove garlic
- 5 leaves basil (or 2 sprigs of parsley)
- to taste salt
Creamy pistachio pasta
Tools
What we need to make it:
- 1 Chopper or the Bimby
- 1 Pot
Steps
Let’s cook it
Put the water on the heat for the pasta with a pinch of salt.
Place in the bowl of your chopper or the Bimby the grated Parmigiano Reggiano, the pistachios, the extra virgin olive oil, the basil or parsley, the salt, the ricotta, and if desired the garlic; blend until the mixture is almost creamy. With the Bimby set: 20 sec. / speed 7.
Cook the pasta al dente and set aside 2 ladles of the pasta cooking water. Then drain it and transfer it to a large bowl. Do not leave it on the heat.
Add the pistachio pesto and 1 ladle of the cooking water, mix, and if you want you can add more cooking water depending on whether you prefer a looser or thicker sauce. Serve immediately. The pasta with Bronte pistachio pesto is ready.
Here’s a close-up look…. Want a forkful?
Storage and variations
Creamy pistachio pasta
Storage: You can keep the pesto in the fridge for up to 2 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Variations: You can enrich this dish with chopped mortadella with pistachios.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Creamy pistachio pasta
Can I use store-bought pistachio pesto?
Yes, certainly.
