Farfalle with Pistachio Nuts

By ajiann

Farfalle ai Pistacchi

Nonna Saporito frequently made this macaroni dish with pistachio nuts that is so popular in the town of Bronte, Sicily, where each year in September a festival takes place (sagra del pistacchio) celebrating the pistachio nut. The Arabs introduced them into Sicily, and Bronte is the center for its cultivation. Known as the "green gold" of Etna because of their intense green color, pistachio nuts are used as an ingredient in everything from pastries to fillings for vegetables, to flavoring local salame, and in pasta dishes like this one.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1/2 cup shelled natural pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
• 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or red pepper paste
• Fine sea salt
• Grinding fresh ground black pepper
• 1-pound farfalle or penne
• 2/3 cup grated Pecorino cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan. Add onion and cook until soft but not brown; stir in nuts and cook 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the red pepper flakes or paste. Add a little more olive oil if the pan seems dry. Cover and keep warm.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, meaning when a piece of pasta is broken in half, no white flour is visible. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and transfer the pasta to the sauté pan. Reheat slowly, stir in the reserved water and mixing the ingredients well. Stir in the cheese, then transfer to a shallow platter and serve immediately.