Cooking Cove: Pistachios go way beyond ice cream

By Barbara Beltrami

Someone brought me a huge bag of pistachios last week and after shamelessly bingeing on them, I went on a quest to find other ways to use them. They had to be good, I thought,  in a semifreddo recipe I had and would add a nice crunch to summer salads. I tried a  pesto with the pistachios instead of pignoli nuts and was very pleased and also made a pistachio-crusted salmon which was a big hit.

I still want to try them in crumbles as well as in a crust for fresh fruit pies and tarts and also pureed with cheeses or yogurt to make dips and spreads. 

So, merrily snacking on the pistachios as I set to work, I did some homework and came up with these recipes. If you don’t like them, there’s always pistachio ice cream, everyone’s favorite, it seems, except mine.

Zabaglione and Pistachio Semifreddo

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

5 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons dry Marsala

3 large egg whites

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup chopped unsalted pistachios

DIRECTIONS:

Line a 9 x 5 x 3” loaf pan with plastic wrap; leave a 2” overhang on the top edges and chill the pan in the freezer. In the top of a double boiler beat together the egg yolk, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the Marsala until well blended. Place over simmering water and beat until the mixture has quadrupled in volume; remove from heat and place the bowl with the mixture in a larger bowl of ice water and, stirring occasionally, let cool.  

In a large bowl beat egg whites until frothy, gradually add the remaining half cup of sugar and beat just until mixture holds soft peaks. In a large chilled bowl beat the cream until it holds soft peaks, gently but thoroughly fold in the egg whites; fold in the yolk mixture and then half a cup of the pistachios. Scrape mixture into prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours. Unmold the semifreddo onto a serving dish, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pistachios; slice and serve with fresh raspberries and espresso.

Orecchiette with Pistachio and Basil Pesto

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

1 pound orecchiette pasta

1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios

1 cup basil leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 – 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

3 garlic cloves

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in the bowl of a food processor combine the pistachios, basil, oil, cheese, garlic and salt and pepper; process, scraping sides of bowl often, until mixture reaches a smooth consistency. Reserving one cup of the cooking water from the pasta, drain it. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the pesto, and add the reserved pasta water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Serve hot or warm with a tomato salad and foccaccia.

Pistachio-Crusted Salmon

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

One 2 1/2 pound side salmon, skin on

Freshly squeezed juice of two lemons

1/4 cup prepared mustard

1 cup shelled unsalted pistachio nuts

1/2 cup unflavored bread crumbs

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place salmon, skin side down, on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and mustard and brush lightly on top of salmon. In a food processor, combine the pistachios, bread crumbs, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Sprinkle  mixture evenly over lemon and mustard mixture on salmon. Bake until salmon reaches desired doneness, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove to serving platter and let sit about 5 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad or fresh asparagus.