One Pot Pistachio Pasta For Two
This Pistachio Pesto Pasta 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!
Servings: 3 servings or 2 hearty servings
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.