The Pasta with Pistachio Sauce is a 1st Prize-Winning Recipe of the 2010 DeLallo Italian Recipe Contest. Pistachios are the perfect nuts, they manage to be vaguely sweet but still meaty. This recipe brings wonderful images to mind when you just hear the title of the recipe….creamy, cheesy, lemony bright pistachio sauce, lathered over our al dente Penne Rigate pasta. Simple yet elegant. Our choice for 1st Prize. This Pasta with Pistachio Sauce Recipe is Courtesy of Christine Familetti, Broomall, PA.
- SERVES: 4
- LEVEL: Super Simple
DIRECTIONS- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, then add the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Please note, this sauce needs to be made and eaten, it will thicken as it sits.
- Rinse pistachio nuts with cold water and towel dry to remove excess salt. In a small skillet, sauté the pistachios for a few minutes with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until pistachios are finely minced. Add the rest of the melted butter, garlic, oil, salt and lemon juice; pulse once again.
- Transfer the nut mixture back to the small skillet. Turn the heat to low and add warmed heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Cook your pasta al dente and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Immediately add the drained pasta to the hot sauce pan and toss to coat well. Add a couple spoonfuls of pasta water to moisten the sauce as needed.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve. Buon Appetito!
