Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Pancetta is a rich, creamy dish featuring al dente pasta tossed in a nutty pistachio pesto sauce and topped with crispy pancetta bits. Make in just 25 minutes for a date night at home or add it to your weeknight dinner rotation. Either way, we know you'll love it!
Grated Parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino romanofor serving
Instructions
Toast pistachios (optional for garnish) - Place raw pistachios in a large cold pan and cook until toasted. Remove the pan from the heat to cool and remove the pistachios from the pan. Chop until finely chopped and crumbly. Set aside.
¼ cup raw pistachios
Cook pancetta and shallots - Add the pancetta to the same pan and turn the heat on to medium. Cook until caramelized then remove the pancetta from the pan. Add the shallots to the pan and cook in the pancetta fat. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape some of the fond (the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan) to incorporate into the dish.
4 oz pancetta, 1 shallot, ¼ cup white wine
Cook pasta - While the pancetta and shallots cook, prepare the pasta. In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Then add pasta to the water and cook until al dente per the packaging instructions. Time the pasta and the sauce so they are ready around the same time. Reserve a cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
1 lb short pasta, kosher salt
Combine ingredients - Add about a ¼ cup of pasta water and the pistachio pesto to the pan and stir until combined with the heat on low. Add the pasta to the pan and gently toss until the pasta is coated in the pesto. If the pasta is dry, add a little more pasta water, about a quarter cup at a time, until the pasta sauce reaches a silky consistency. You don’t have to use all of the pasta water. Once the pasta is well-coated with pesto, salt to taste and fold in the pancetta. Serve in bowls and top with the toasted pistachios and grated parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino romano.
1 cup pistachio pesto, Grated Parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino romano
Video
Notes
Storage
Refrigerate leftover pistachio pesto pasta in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. In order to reheat, heat over low heat in a braiser or dutch oven, stirring occasionally until hot. You can also microwave until warm.
Cooking Tips
Don’t use olive oil in this dish. Since the pancetta naturally has oil to cook the shallot in, you don't need to add olive oil. The only exception is if you omit the pancetta, then you can use olive oil to cook the shallot.
Be sure to salt the pasta water so the pasta is extra flavorful.
Lightly salt this dish to taste. Since there is salty cheese in the pistachio pesto, the pancetta is naturally salty, and the pasta water is salted, you don’t need to heavily salt this dish. Just add a little salt to taste if desired.
Enjoy with bread. Serve this creamy pasta with a delicious roll or baguette to dip in the pesto sauce. In Italian, this is called "fare la scarpetta," or "make the little shoe."
Remix the pesto. If you store and refrigerate any leftover pesto separately, be sure to mix it again before using it. The ingredients can separate overnight in the refrigerator.