Pistachio is one of the most loved and appreciated dried fruits for its taste and properties, widely used in the kitchen in different forms: whole, in the form of grain, flour and paste. Pistachio paste is nothing more than the product of very fine grinding of pistachios. This ingredient is widely used in ice cream and pastry making, but can also be useful in the preparation of appetizers and first courses. Discover with us what pistachio paste is and draw inspiration from our advice for using it in your recipes! pistachio ice cream placed in an ice cream cone with pistachios around it and in the tray.
Pistachio paste: what is it and how is it obtained?
Pistachio paste is a semi-finished product based on pistachio, widely used in pastry and ice cream parlors for the preparation of pistachio ice cream and desserts. Obtained from the very fine grinding of peeled and toasted pistachios, it has a creamy consistency due to the presence of pistachio oil, evident in the last chopping phase. Pure pistachio paste has a dark, dull color, different from the lively and bright one we are used to seeing in pastry and ice cream shops. In fact, natural coloring based on chlorophyll is often added to it, capable of making the color of the pistachio paste brighter, preferred by the confectionery industry. Pistachio paste should not be confused with pistachio cream. In fact, it is a semi-finished product with an intense, strong flavour, produced only with pistachios. Pistachio lovers love to enjoy it as it is, however it is not intended for direct consumption, but is used to flavor sweet and savory preparations. Pistachio cream, on the other hand, is a finished and ready-to-use product, made together with other ingredients such as sugar, milk and chocolate. Pistachio cream is the ideal product to spread on bread or to fill and embellish hot and cold pistachio desserts. Pistachio paste generally has a high price, due to the high price of pistachios. The Bronte pistachio, in addition to being the best in the world for taste and quality, is also the one with the highest price. However, there are also other varieties on the market, such as the Turkish and Iranian ones which still boast a good quality/price ratio.
How to make homemade pistachio paste?
Making homemade pistachio paste is simple. There are different recipes and versions available online, each with its own flavor and purpose. The simplest recipe includes pistachios, previously shelled and peeled, as the only ingredient. It is possible to peel dried fruit by soaking it in water at room temperature for a couple of hours, the time to rehydrate and making it easy to remove the skin with a simple cloth. Please note that it must be dry before using it! The second step is to toast the pistachios for a few minutes in a ventilated oven at 180-200 degrees for approximately 5-10 minutes, placing them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. During roasting you must be careful so that the pistachios do not burn. You can avoid these steps if you purchase chopped pistachios. Finally, we move on to chopping. You can use a food processor, an immersion blender or, for those who have it, the thermomix. A tip is to let the food processor work intermittently, interspersing a few seconds of pulling with a few seconds of pause. This is necessary in order to avoid not only the robot overheating, which in doing so could break, but also because the heat of the blades can compromise the creaminess of the pistachio paste due to the separation between the oil and the solid part of the pistachio. Preparation time is approximately 5-10 minutes. You can store the pistachio paste in the fridge for a week, in an airtight container or covered with cling film. This recipe is perfect for making sweet and savory recipes. However, you can add other ingredients such as icing sugar and seed oil to make it sweet, or salt and seed oil for savory dishes.
Pistachio grains, flour and paste
Note how, during grinding, the pistachio is transformed into three different confectionery products:
- With a first quick chopping you obtain chopped pistachios, perfect for decorating sweet and savory dishes, for adding to the dough of baked goods, for making nougats and snacks or for creating sauces and sauces to season first and second courses;
- In a second phase we move on to pistachio flour, excellent for preparing gluten-free bread, pizza and pistachio desserts; Finally, after persistently chopping the pistachios for 5-10 minutes, the pistachio paste is obtained.
These three products have many uses in the kitchen and making them, as we have seen, is very easy. A pack of pistachios in the pantry, therefore, can prove convenient not only for a snack full of vitamins and mineral salts, but also for preparing tasty recipes quickly and easily.
Which variety of pistachio to choose for cooking?
Pistachio, originally from the Middle East, is now cultivated in different parts of the world. USA, Türkiye and Iran hold the leadership of total production, while Italy produces less than 1% of global production. The most widespread cultivar in Italy is Bianca, also called Neapolitan, known for its intense and brilliant green color. Other widespread varieties are: Cappuccia, Cerasola, Insolia, Silvana, Femminella. Italian pistachio production is concentrated exclusively in Sicily, in the municipality of Bronte and the surrounding areas, where the famous Green Pistachio di Bronte PDO is harvested, also known as the "green gold of Bronte". The Bronte pistachio, thanks to its organoleptic and pomological characteristics, is the most appreciated variety in the world. Its scarcity and high price compared to the world market make it a niche product. The harvest takes place every two years in September, in order to preserve the quality of the fruit and avoid excessive exploitation of the plant. Choosing an Italian pistachio to make pistachio paste is certainly preferable, especially for its unmistakable taste and color. However, the high price that distinguishes this product may not be affordable for everyone. In this case, Iranian, Turkish and Californian pistachios can represent a good compromise.
How to use pistachio paste in cooking?
Pistachio paste is a versatile product, capable of enhancing different flavors and making a difference in many dishes.
In sweet dishes…
Pistachio tiramisu on a white plate in the foreground. Pistachio paste is mainly used in ice cream shops to prepare pistachio ice creams and ripples. Crushed pistachios are also used a lot here, capable of decorating and giving a crunchy touch to the ice cream. Furthermore, combining pistachio paste with a good ice cream base makes it easier to create an excellent homemade pistachio ice cream. In pastry making, as well as at home, pistachio paste is the main ingredient of many pistachio desserts. To give some examples, we mention easy desserts such as pistachio tiramisu, pistachio cheesecake and pistachio roll, offered on the web in different versions, all delicious. Furthermore, pistachio paste is used in Sicilian cuisine to prepare typical traditional desserts, such as cannoli, granitas (to be eaten for breakfast with the famous brioche col tuppo), Sicilian cassata and pistachio pastes. Pistachio paste can, essentially, be used to prepare desserts that require cooking, such as biscuits, plumcakes, biscuit dough, panettone, sponge cake, donuts, tarts, cream puffs and many other baked products, but it can also be added to the cream, custard, chantilly, mascarpone, bavarois and many others to make delicious creams for pistachio cakes and cold desserts. Very tasty recipes with pistachio paste are also those of pistachio macarons, homemade pistachio cream, pistachio and chocolate cake and pistachio liqueur.
…and in the salty ones
Pistachio paste, if it is pure and does not contain sugar, can also be used to make tasty savory dishes. It can, for example, be added to pizza dough, focaccia, bread and fresh pasta. Added to spreadable cheese or béchamel, it allows you to make sauces to season first and second courses or to spread on croutons and canapés for a tasty aperitif, excellent when combined with cured meats such as mortadella, speck, bacon and bacon. Pasta with pistachio pesto and decorated with lemon zest
Where to buy ready-made pistachio paste? On dolcencasa.com!
In our online shop you will find our pistachio pastes made in Italy with Italian cultivars. Choose the one you prefer from the various proposals: if you don't want to give up the goodness of Bronte Pistachio, choose our 100% Bronte PDO Green Pistachio Paste, without colorings and 100% natural; if you love a pistachio with a creamy, premium and natural structure, you will also find the Pura Blend Pistachio Paste. Furthermore, discover the 100% Pure Sicilian Pistachio Pasta, of the highest quality with only natural coloring E141 or the 100% Pure Natural Sicilian Pistachio Pasta and our Mini and Maxi "The goodness of Pistachio" kits! What are you waiting for? Choose the quality and taste of Dolcincasa! pistachio pastes
