Pesto di Pistacchio di Bronte

Sicilian Bronte pistachio pesto with Pecorino, basil and lemon, tossed through fresh pasta

Origin: Bronte, Sicily, Italy

From the journey of Pistachio.

The small town of Bronte, on the western slopes of Mount Etna in the province of Catania, produces what is considered by Italian chefs and food writers to be the finest pistachio in the world: the Pistacchio di Bronte DOP, a small, intensely green nut with a flavour so concentrated and complex that it bears little resemblance to the blander, more commercially cultivated varieties from Iran or California. The Bronte pistachio owes its character to the volcanic basalt soil of Etna's lower slopes, rich in minerals and with a drainage profile that stresses the tree just enough to concentrate the sugars and essential oils in the nut. The trees are harvested only every other year (the biennial alternating-year method forces the tree to rest and concentrate its energy), and each tree is still harvested by hand, its clusters of red hulls stripped off by workers moving through the terraced hillside groves in September. The DOP designation (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) was awarded in 2009 and applies only to pistachios grown within the defined Bronte zone. Pesto di pistacchio — or crema di pistacchio as some Sicilian chefs call the smooth version — has become the defining preparation of Bronte's culinary identity. Unlike the Genoese basil pesto, which is made by mortar alone, the Bronte pistachio pesto incorporates both pounded and blitzed textures to produce a sauce that is simultaneously coarse and silky, intensely green, and rich enough to coat pasta without any oil slick. It is spread on bruschetta, spooned onto burrata, stirred into risotto, and most characteristically tossed through fresh pappardelle or rigatoni.

Ingredients

Pasta

400 g fresh pappardelle or dried rigatoni

Pistachio Pesto

150 g shelled raw pistachios, blanched and peeled (see tip)
1 small clove of garlic, peeled
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to loosen if needed
50 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated, plus extra to finish
20 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
10 large fresh basil leaves
0.5 lemon, zest and juice

Seasoning

sea salt and white pepper, to taste

To serve

30 g roughly chopped pistachios, to garnish

Method

To blanch the pistachios: drop them into boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and rub between two clean cloths to slip off as much of the papery skin as possible. Pat dry. Reserve a small handful of the most intact nuts for garnishing.
Place the pistachios in a food processor with the garlic, basil, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Pulse to a coarse paste. Add the Pecorino and Parmigiano and pulse again. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until you reach a thick, slightly rough-textured sauce. Taste and season with salt, white pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Reserve 150 ml of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Return the drained pasta to the warm pan over very low heat. Add the pistachio pesto and a generous splash of pasta water. Toss together vigorously until the pesto coats every strand and the sauce is glossy and cohesive. Add more pasta water if needed.
Divide among warmed bowls. Finish with extra Pecorino, the roughly chopped pistachios, a thin drizzle of your best olive oil, and a grating of lemon zest.

Notes

Pesto di pistacchio also makes an outstanding spread for bruschetta or crostini, topped with a slice of fresh burrata and a drizzle of Sicilian honey. It can be stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to four days, with a thin film of olive oil pressed over the surface to prevent oxidation. If you cannot source Pistacchio di Bronte DOP (available at specialist Italian delis and online), the best available raw pistachios from Iran or Turkey will work well; the flavour will be slightly less intense but the technique is identical.

The Gastrographer

Name: Pesto di Pistacchio di Bronte
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 400 g fresh pappardelle or dried rigatoni; 150 g shelled raw pistachios, blanched and peeled (see tip); 1 small clove of garlic, peeled; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to loosen if needed; 50 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated, plus extra to finish; 20 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 10 large fresh basil leaves; 0.5 lemon, zest and juice; sea salt and white pepper, to taste; 30 g roughly chopped pistachios, to garnish

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control