TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Pasta al Pistacchio di BrontePasta with Bronte Pistachios
A luxurious pasta made with world-class pistachios from Bronte at the foot of Mount Etna. The sauce of pistachio paste and cream has a beautiful vivid green color, with the nuts’ sweetness, savoriness and slight bitterness intertwined in complex layers. One of the most photogenic dishes in Italian cooking.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Rigatoni or mezze maniche400 g
- Unsalted, unroasted pistachiosPeel and grind into a paste, or use commercial pistachio paste.100 g
- Heavy cream (35% fat)200 ml
- ShallotFinely chopped2
- Unsalted butter15 g
- Parmigiano ReggianoGrated50 g
- Coarsely chopped pistachiosFor finishing30 g
Method
Prepare the ingredients
- 1 Soak 100 g pistachios in boiling water for 1 minute and remove the skins.
- 2 Process into a smooth paste in a food processor.
- 3 Finely chop the shallot.
- 4 Coarsely chop 30 g pistachios for finishing.
Ready when
The pistachio paste is ready and the shallot is finely chopped.
Caution
Any remaining skins impair the texture. Peel thoroughly.
Sauté the shallot
- 1 Melt 15 g butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
- 2 Add the chopped shallot and sauté for 3 minutes.
Ready when
The shallot is translucent and soft.
Make the sauce
- 1 MeanwhileStart bringing a large pot of water to the boil, with 10 g salt per 1 L water.
- 2 Add the pistachio paste and stir together for about 1 minute.
- 3 Add 200 ml cream and reduce over low heat for 3 minutes.
Ready when
The sauce has thickened slightly.
Caution
Reduce over low heat. High heat makes the cream splatter.
Boil the pasta and toss with the sauce
- 1 Add the rigatoni to salted water and cook until al dente, removing 1 minute before the indicated time.
- 2 Reserve 100 ml cooking water.
- 3 Add 50 ml cooking water to the sauce and emulsify over medium heat.
- 4 Add the pasta and toss for 1–2 minutes.
Ready when
The sauce coats all the pasta with a glossy sheen.
Caution
Do not forget to reserve the cooking water.
Plate with cheese and pistachios
- 1 Serve on plates.
- 2 Grate over the Parmigiano.
- 3 Top with 30 g coarsely chopped pistachios.
Ready when
The dish is ready when cheese and pistachios are scattered throughout and the plate is vivid green.
About this dish
On the northwestern slopes of Mount Etna, the small village of Bronte, at 700–900 meters above sea level, is known as the home of green gold. Bronte pistachios have a deeper color and stronger aroma than Iranian or Spanish ones, with an outstanding balance of sweetness and savoriness. They received DOP protected designation of origin in 2009, officially guaranteeing their quality.
Pasta al pistacchio is a traditional festive dish of the Etna foothills. At harvest time in September, large quantities of pistachios are gathered in the village, and local chefs create dishes possible only at this time of year. Grinding the pistachios into a creamy paste and tossing them with pasta: that simplicity shows absolute confidence in the ingredient’s quality.
Variations also include mortadella, combining pork fat with the sweetness of pistachios for a richer flavor. Sicilian cooking grows from a sense for bringing ingredients together.
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