One-pot pastas are an absolute magic trick. This Pistachio Pesto Pasta for Two with pistachio pesto cream sauce along with sautéed pancetta comes together all in one pot! A simple yet decadent pasta recipe perfectly portioned for two that’s full of flavor, creamy and satisfying!
Sicily is known for its production of pistachios, referred to as “green gold” due to their vibrant color, that grow at the base of Mt Etna in the commune of Bronte. For that reason, a pasta dish you are sure to find on most menus is pasta al pistachio, using a short tube pasta like penne rigate or orecchiette.
Why short tube pasta? Because the homemade pistachio pesto cream sauce clings best to this pasta shape. Give it a try.
Stopping in a small shop in Ortygia, Sicily (an island neighborhood in Syracusa) to pick up some local olive oil, I found the owner lunching on a bowl of pistachio pasta made the night before. In our broken English we found a common language of food, with him sharing how to make a simple yet flavorful pistachio pesto pasta. Let’s get started!
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Pistachio Pesto Ingredients
This easy one-pot pistachio pesto pasta, or pasta al pistachio, is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner yet elegant enough for date night. Made with just a handful of ingredients that smell like summer, it doesn’t get any easier than this!
For the pistachio pesto, we will use summer fresh ingredients:
- Pistachios. Nuts give the pesto structure and delicious nutty flavor.
- fresh whole garlic cloves. Please use fresh garlic clove and not the jarred fresh garlic to achieve the best garlicky flavor possible. No need to mince, your blender or food processor will do that for you.
- basil. When you have a lot of basil, pesto is one of the best ways to use it! To measure basil, just discard the thicker stems and lightly pack the leaves into a measuring cup.
- salt. Using kosher salt will enhance the flavor of the greens and herbs. One mistake people make with homemade pesto is not seasoning it enough, so be sure to taste and add more salt if needed.
- freshly ground pepper
- extra virgin olive oil. The oil helps give the pesto the perfect consistency and adds richness. I recommend using a good-quality oil for the best flavor. California Olive Ranch is a reliable olive oil.
- Parmesan. The addictive cheesy, salty addition completes this pesto. Freshly grate your Parmesan for maximum flavor.
- lemon juice and zest. For pistachio pesto I like to add some lemon juice squeezed from a lemon and along with some zest – it adds bright citrusy flavors to the pesto and helps keep the green hue of the herbs from turning brown.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
One Pot Pistachio Pasta Ingredients
The other remaining ingredients for the one-pot pasta are:
- shallots
- pancetta – pancetta brings some nice meaty and salty flavor to the pasta. Applewood smoked bacon or prosciutto are good substitutes.
- penne rigate - I prefer medium length pasta shapes such as penne rigate; rigatoni or cavatappi. When I can find it I like to use orecchiette, as the sauce clings well to the pasta shapes. Want a longer pasta? Opt for a fettuccine. For a gluten free option try gnocchi.
- dry white wine - use what you enjoy drinking. To quote Julia Child, “If you have not a good wine to use, it is far better to omit it, for a poor one can spoil a simple dish and utterly debase a noble one”.
- pistachio pesto – see the recipe card for ingredients and instructions.
- cream – turns the pistachio pesto into a creamy sauce. You can easily substitute half and half or even consider a 2:1 ratio of a low-fat milk to cream.
- Parmesan – if you can afford it, splurge for fresh Parmesan and grate it yourself – you won’t be disappointed.
- chopped pistachios for garnish (optional)
- extra virgin olive oil
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Making Pistachio Pesto
Alright, got your ingredients gathered and a 12 inch skillet? Let's get started!
Toast the pistachios. Keep a close eye on them to avoid burning.
Pulse. Place the basil, garlic, salt, pistachios, Parmesan and some of the oil in the food processor. Pulse until it is nicely blended, adding gradually the remaining oil in a stream until you reach the consistency of a paste. We do not want as much oil as you may add to a pesto or the pasta sauce will be too oily.
Blend ingredients together. Process until smooth. Your pistachio sauce will be thick. Add the lemon juice and zest and give it one more pulse.
Taste and Season. Give the sauce a taste (dip a veggie stick or piece of bread in), and season with extra salt and pepper to taste. You may want to add extra Parmesan, basil or pistachios if you want more of those flavors. Enjoy!
How to make this one-pot pasta
Now that you have made the pistachio pesto, here’s how to make this one-pot pistachio pasta for two!
Crisp the Pancetta. First, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet that has a cover, then add pancetta. Give it a quick stir but then letting sit undisturbed to allow the pancetta to brown and crisp. Once you see it begin to browning around the edges give it another stir then add the chopped shallots. You will continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, and the pancetta is crisp and brown.
Cook the pasta. Remove the pancetta and shallots from the pan and set aside. In the now empty pan, add pasta and water. That’s right we are using the same pan! Make sure there is enough water to just cover the top of the pasta. Bring to a boil, cover and cook pasta until al dente (still firm when bitten). Stir the pasta occasionally to keep from sticking to the pan or itself.
Add the sauce ingredients. Now that the pasta is al dente, add wine and give the pasta a stir to loosen any pieces stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Add the pancetta mixture, dollop the pistachio pesto over the pasta and pour in the cream.
Give everything a quick stir, garnish with Parmesan, chopped pistachios and some lemon zest. Enjoy!
Cooking enough pasta for two
Do you have a hard time figuring out how much dried pasta to put in the pot of boiling water, so that you don’t have too little or too much? Me Too!
My rule of thumb for two is to cook almost half the box of pasta (6 ounces). Most recipes call for one pound of pasta — which is a standard box or bag — to serve four to six people. It’s far easier to eyeball this than fuss over specific measurements. However, for short tube pasta I cook about a fist full (or about 1 cup) per person.
Variations
The type of pesto you can use in this one-pot pasta dish are infinite. Be sure to check out my guide on how to make pesto variations. To get you started, here are a few to consider!
- Swap in different greens and herbs: Try using mint, spinach, parsley and cilantro in place of basil or mix with basil.
- Swap in different nuts: Pine nuts are a bit pricey, so consider walnuts, pecans, almonds, pepitas, or really any other favorite nut. I really like using pistachios, but they are just as pricey as pine nuts.
- Omit the cheese: If you would like to opt for a vegan pesto, substitute 3 -5 tablespoons (to taste) nutritional yeast in place of the Parmesan.
- Add some heat: Try adding a few pinches of crunched red pepper flakes it an extra kick.
Storage and reheating
While this pasta makes 2 hearty servings, you may want to make enough to have some leftover for the next day.
To Store: Place pasta in an airtight container. It will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat: Warm on 50% power in the microwave, stir after two minutes. Continue to reheat until pasta reaches desired temperature.
Top tip to make this recipe
Want to know the secret to making one pot pistachio pasta? Here are some of my best tips that I’ve learned making this recipe again and again.
- It’s easiest to make the pesto using a food processor.
- Be patient when toasting the pistachios, if you crank up the heat they will burn quickly.
- Don’t rinse the skillet after crisping the pancetta. The brown bits and remaining oil adds great flavor to the sauce.
- Use a large skillet with high sides, to give the pasta plenty of space to cook.
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Common questions about this recipe
You've got questions... I've got answers! If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll jump in there to help you out.
Looking for a quick answer? The best side dishes to serve with pesto pasta are steamed or sauteed vegetables, baked salmon, eggplant parmesan, Cesar salad, or a crusty loaf of bread.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Rewarm in microwave at 50% stirring every 2 minutes until pasta reaches desired temperature.
I prefer medium length pasta shapes such as penne rigate; rigatoni or cavatappi. When I can find it I like to use orecchiette, as the sauce clings well to the pasta shapes. Wanting a longer pasta? Opt for a fettuccine.
For a gluten free option try gnocchi.
Related
Looking for other recipes for two like this? Try these:
Pairing
Wondering what to serve with this one-pot pistachio pasta? While this can be a one-pot meal or even a side dish, here are a couple of my favorites to serve with this recipe.
- Cesar salad. If I want more protein, I will add a grilled chicken breast to the top of the salad.
- Sauteed or steamed vegetables. You can always add some of the pistachio pesto to the vegetables to add flavor.
One Pot Pistachio Pasta For Two
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the pesto
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 garlic clove peeled or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- ¼ cup toasted pistachios
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice from a fresh lemon
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
For the pasta
- 4 ounces pancetta ,bacon or prosciutto
- 1 shallot clove ,chopped
- 8 ounces penne rigate pasta ,rigatoni, cavatappi or orecchiette.
- ⅛ cup dry white wine use what you have in your refrigerator
- pistachio pesto from recipe above, or substitute your favorite type pesto
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream or half and half
- ¼ cup Parmesan ,freshly grated, plus extra for garnish
- Pistachios ,chopped (optional)
Instructions
For the Pistachio Pesto:
- Toast the nuts: place the nuts in a small, dry skillet. Toast over low heat, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and toasted, about 4 minutes for pine nuts and 6 to 8 minutes for walnuts. Keep an eye on the skillet, once the nuts start to toast because they will toast fast and burn quickly.
- Place basil, garlic, salt, nuts, cheese and the oil in a food processor. Pulse until it’s nicely blended. Pause the food processor and scrape down the sides, then pulse again until the mixture is a smooth paste. Add lemon juice and zest. Do not be tempted to add more oil, this will make the pasta sauce too thin and oily.
- Taste and Season. Give the sauce a taste, and season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and begin making the pasta.
For the Pasta:
- First, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet then add pancetta. Give it a quick stir to coat with oil. Let cook undisturbed until the edges of the pancetta begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and stir, coating the shallots in the oil. Continue to cook until the shallots are translucent, and the pancetta is crisp and brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using a slotted spoon transfer pancetta mixture to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- In the now empty pan, add pasta and enough water to just cover the top of the pasta. Bring to a boil, lower heat to maintain a gentle boil, cover and cook pasta until al dente (firm when bitten), about 10 -13 minutes. Stir the pasta occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the pan.
- Now add wine, stirring to loosen any pieces stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Add the reserved pancetta mixture, and the pistachio pesto. Stir. Pour in the cream and sprinkle with Parmesan. Give it stir to combine and cook until everything is heated, about 1 minute.
- Garnish with extra Parmesan, chopped pistachios and some lemon zest.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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