Pistachio pesto from Sicily

Sicilian Pistachio Pesto with 70 Percent Pistachios

Sicilian pistachio pesto is a savory green pesto made from 70 percent Sicilian pistachios, olive oil, and salt. Creamy, nutty, and intensely green – not a sweet spread, but a pesto for pasta and crostini, so rich in pistachios that a single spoonful goes a long way.

Sicilian Pistachio Pesto is a savory pesto made from 70 percent peeled Sicilian pistachios, finely ground and blended with extra virgin olive oil, a little sunflower oil, and salt into a creamy paste. In Italian, it is called Pesto di Pistacchio. Rich green, dense, and oily-creamy, it has a full, nutty pistachio flavor that is mildly salty, with no sweetness and no cheese.

Rich green, creamy, full of nutty pistachio

Upon opening, a warm, roasted pistachio aroma rises, nutty and fine, with a hint of green freshness. It has a silky sheen and a stringy, dense nut paste consistency.

The color is a rich, deep green, the texture dense and creamy, with the delicate feel of ground pistachios. On the tongue, it is full and oily-nutty, mildly salted, with the rounded, slightly sweet note of roasted pistachios – the sweetness comes solely from the nut, not from sugar. Because it contains so much pistachio, it is more intense and denser than a basil pesto.

For pasta, on crostini, with mortadella

Its big moment is with pasta – a spoonful of pistachio pesto transforms noodles into a Sicilian classic.

Folded into warm pasta, with a little pasta water and a splash of cream or ricotta, the pistachio pesto becomes a creamy green sauce, classic with short pasta like casarecce or fusilli, and even fresher with lemon zest and pepper. On crostini with mortadella or cream cheese, it makes for a Sicilian aperitivo snack, and a spoonful elevates risotto, gnocchi, or a piece of grilled fish.

Because it contains no cheese, it is entirely plant-based and versatile – as a dip for breadsticks, as a filling for stuffed pasta, or stirred into cream cheese for a green spread. Alongside green basil pesto and other pesto varieties, it is the nutty, creamy one among them.

From the pistachio groves around Bronte

The pistachios for the pesto grow in Sicily, where Italy’s best thrive around Bronte near Mount Etna.

At the foot of Mount Etna, on the mineral-rich lava soils around Bronte, the greenest and most aromatic pistachios in Italy ripen – so prized that they are often called "green gold." Sicilian pistachios are smaller, darker, and more intense than others, giving pesto and gelato their typical green color. For the pesto, they are peeled and finely ground with oil; little else is needed: 70 percent pistachio, plus oil and salt.

The pesto is mixed and jarred under the umbrella of Antica Bottega Siciliana in Trapani. Here, Salvatore Novara brings together the products of small producers on the island – pistachio pesto alongside Trapanese tomato pesto, honey, and jam.

Heat gently at most, never boil

If oil separates on the surface, this is normal – simply stir it in. Pistachio pesto should not be cooked at high heat: fold it into finished, warm pasta and heat it only gently, otherwise the pistachio loses its delicate aroma. After opening, cover with a film of oil and store in a cool place; it will keep for several days. Because it is so intense, a good spoonful per serving is sufficient.