Pistachio Cream Pasta

Pistachio Cream Pasta – a super simple Sicilian pasta dish that you can make in minutes. So comforting, lots of great flavor, rich, creamy, and delicious.

I first discovered this recipe almost 12 years ago when I started blogging. My family is a huge fan of pistachios, but I usually only think to use them in desserts like this Pistachio Ice Cream.

After quite a few years I am giving this recipe a little boost and am bringing it back. The original recipe wasn’t nearly as good, so I tweaked it quite a bit to make it absolutely delicious. Plus it is so darn easy, you can make it on repeat!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Naturally Meat Free. Whether you are vegetarian or actively trying to eat less meat this is the perfect recipe. I am all for meat-free, but it can’t be something that is trying to pretend it is meat. This is rich, creamy, and delicious and the nuts give it texture and protein and you won’t even realize there isn’t any meat.
• Super easy – this pasta dish is ready in no time with just a few ingredients. If you can buy already shelled pistachios that is half the battle. The pistachios just simmer in the cream to flavor it while the pasta cooks.
• Simple ingredients – this is a traditional Sicilian recipe, but you don’t have any hard to find ingredients. Just 7 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and the pistachios are the one thing you might not have in your pantry already.

What You’ll Need

• Pasta – I like to use a short cut pasta like bowtie, penne, rotini or rigatoni. You could use spaghetti, but I don’t think it works quite as well with the sauce.
• Shelled Pistachios – roasted but unsalted are the best. If you can only find salted, just cut back on the salt in the recipe.
• Onion
• Olive Oil
• Heavy Cream
• Milk
• Crushed Red Pepper
• Salt & Pepper

How To Make Pistachio Cream Pasta

1. Add the pistachios to a food processor and grind to a coarse texture. You can also chop by hand if you want bigger pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
3. Meanwhile in a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until they are soft.
4. Add about 3/4 of the ground pistachios to the pan and stir to coat in the oil. Add additional oil if necessary so the pistachios are well coated.
5. Pour in the heavy cream and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer this simmers the more the pistachios infuse the cream and flavor the sauce. So don’t skip or rush this step.
6. Season with the crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.
7. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and serve with Parmesan cheese and the remaining pistachios.

Recipe Tips & Variations

• I like to use both milk and heavy cream so you get the rich and creamy texture and flavor from the heavy cream, but it isn’t over done. You can definitely use all heavy cream if you want. I just like to cut down on the fat and calories a little.
• Add meat! I have added chopped, cooked bacon to this and it was incredible! But you could also add grilled chicken breast or even shrimp to this.
• Use other nuts! Chopped nuts and pasta go really well together, so if pistachios aren’t your favorite try the same recipe with something else.
• Want it a little cheesy? Stir in 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese in with the sauce. You can also add Parmesan cheese on top when you serve.

What To Serve With Pistachio Cream Pasta

• Tossed Salad
• Roasted Asparagus
• Tomato Mozzarella Salad
• Air Fryer Garlic Bread

Storage

If you have leftovers this will last in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Just like any creamy pasta, it will not reheat and be quite the same as the first time. You can add just a splash of cream when you reheat to loosen the sauce and this will help bring it together.

More Delicious Pasta Recipes

• Chicken Stuffed Shells
• Homemade Pasta
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
• Creamy Beef Pasta
• Goulash
• Chicken Pot Pie Noodles
• Linguine with Mussels
• Bacon Mac and Cheese

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Pistachio Cream Pasta

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Pistachio Cream Pasta - a super simple Sicilian pasta dish that you can make in minutes. So comforting, lots of great flavor, rich, creamy, and delicious.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 oz short cut pasta
• 3/4 cup shelled pistachios
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons olive oi
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Add the pistachios to a food processor and grind to a coarse texture. You can also chop by hand if you want bigger pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
3. Meanwhile in a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until they are soft.
4. Add about 3/4 of the ground pistachios to the pan and stir to coat in the oil. Add additional oil if necessary so the pistachios are well coated.
5. Pour in the heavy cream and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer this simmers the more the pistachios infuse the cream and flavor the sauce. So don't skip or rush this step.
6. Season with the crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.
7. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and serve with Parmesan cheese and the remaining pistachios.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 249Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 46mgSodium 395mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 5g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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