Soft Pistachio Nougat – with Bronte pistachios

Torrone Morbido al Pistacchio with Bronte Pistachios

The Torrone Morbido al Pistacchio from D.Barbero is a soft torrone from Piedmont featuring Bronte PDO pistachios from Sicily. Sicilian orange blossom honey, muscovado sugar, candied orange peel, and vanilla from Madagascar—seven hours of cooking time in historic steam kettles, presented in an elegant 100 g metal tin.

Torrone Morbido al Pistacchio is the soft, southern Italian-inspired variation of the Piedmontese torrone from the Cioccolateria & Torroneria D.Barbero in Asti. Fresh egg white, Sicilian orange blossom honey, and muscovado sugar are cooked for around seven hours, with hand-picked Bronte PDO pistachios, candied Sicilian and Calabrian orange peel, and Madagascar vanilla added at the end. A tribute to Sicily from the heart of Piedmont.

Soft, creamy, with pistachios and orange peel

Morbido means soft in Italian—and that is exactly what this 100 g version is: soft under the knife, delicate on the tongue. Wonderfully nutty thanks to the pistachios, fresh and citrusy from the candied orange peel, and floral and warm from the Sicilian orange blossom honey.

The outer skin of the Bronte pistachio shimmers purple, while the kernel is intensely green, giving the torrone its characteristic splash of color. At D.Barbero, there are no artificial flavors—pistachio, orange peel, and honey speak for themselves.

Pistacchio Verde di Bronte PDO, grown on the western slopes of Mount Etna

The pistachios for this torrone come exclusively from Bronte on the western slopes of Mount Etna in the province of Catania, in a cultivation area up to 900 meters above sea level. The Pistacchio Verde di Bronte variety carries the PDO seal and is considered by Italian confectioners to be the finest pistachio in the country—distinctly nutty with a deep green color.

At D.Barbero, the whole pistachios are added only toward the end of the cooking process so they retain their color and crunch. Candied orange peel from Sicily and Calabria provides a fresh accent, while the Sicilian orange blossom honey provides the sweet, floral anchor. The high honey content is also what gives the torrone its soft consistency—the more honey, the softer the morbido.

The Bronte pistachio grows in volcanic soil on the western slopes of Mount Etna and is harvested only every two years; in the alternating years, the trees are left to rest so that the nuts can develop their aroma and deep green color. They are harvested by hand in late summer on slopes where no machinery can reach.

You can taste the effort that goes into them: resinous, slightly sweet, with a fine bitter note in the finish. The Sicilian orange blossom honey in the torrone absorbs the bitterness and adds a fruity quality. Two southern Italians in a Piedmontese nougat—they get along surprisingly well.

Seven hours of patience in beechwood molds

The process remains the same for every variety of torrone: the mixture of egg white, honey, and sugar simmers for seven hours in a steam kettle before the other ingredients are added. Using wooden paddles made of beech, the warm mixture is scooped by hand from the kettles and pressed into beechwood molds, which serve as natural heat insulators.

The torrone cools overnight on marble tables, and the next day it is cut by hand into 100 g slices and packed into the elegant metal tin. If you prefer the firm "friabile" version, you can find it in the small 50 g bar as Torronfetta al Pistacchio—with the same high pistachio content.

In 1883, Melchiorre Barbero received the license in Asti to commercially produce "Torroni e Noasetti." Today, seven generations later, the family-run business is led by Giovanni Barbero and his nephew Davide Maddaleno at Via Brofferio 84—using hand-picked Bronte pistachios, without haste, and without shortcuts.

You can find other specialties from D.Barbero in our shop—the Torronjotti pralines with pieces of white torrone, the Gianduja chocolate with whole hazelnuts as a creamy bar, or the Torronfetta alle Mandorle as a crunchy nougat bar with Avola almonds.

Juicy, resinous, fruity, and perfect with a glass of Marsala

Juicy, resinous, fruity—that is how the Morbido al Pistacchio tastes. It pairs well with an espresso, and a glass of southern Italian Marsala picks up the orange notes in the honey. Serve at room temperature; it is easiest to cut then, and the pistachio aroma fully unfolds. The 100 g slice in the metal tin makes for a wonderful southern Italian souvenir.