Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Tomato Confit

Name: Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Tomato Confit
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 140 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: ½ cup shelled pistachios; ½ cup grated parmesan; ½ cup basil leaves, packed; 1 clove garlic; ½ lemon, juiced; ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste; 6 tablespoons Zucchi Sicilian IGP EVOO; 2 cups tomato confit (optional, but highly recommended); 1 pound spaghetti; ½ cup pasta cooking water, reserved

In this Sicily-inspired pasta dish, ground pistachios create a creamy, nutty pesto, perfectly contrasted by the concentrated sweetness of homemade tomato confit.

COOK TIME	1 hour 40 minutes
PREP TIME	30

SKILL LEVEL	Medium
SERVES	4-6

We recommend…

SICILIANO IGP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

With an intense fruitiness and pungency, this oil boasts notes reminiscent of Sicily including oregano, wild fennel, and citrus.

INGREDIENTS

For the pistachio pesto:

½ cup / shelled pistachios
½ cup / grated parmesan
½ cup / basil leaves, packed
1 clove / garlic
½ / lemon, juiced
¼ teaspoon / salt or more to taste
6 tablespoons / Zucchi Sicilian IGP EVOO

For the pasta:

2 cups / tomato confit (optional, but highly recommended)
1 pound / spaghetti
½ cup / pasta cooking water, reserved

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the tomato confit:

Prepare ahead of time following the tomato confit recipe here. *Sundried tomatoes may also be used in lieu of the confit.

To make the pistachio pesto:

Combine the pistachios, Parmigiano-Reggiano, basil leaves, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor.
Process until finely chopped.
With the motor still running, drizzle in Zucchi Sicilian IGP EVOO and keep blending until the mixture is creamy.

To assemble the pistachio pesto pasta:

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Before draining the pasta, make sure to reserve about ½ cup cooking liquid.
If you are using refrigerated tomato confit, then gently heat it up in a pan so that it is warmed through.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked spaghetti, pistachio pesto, and ½ cup reserved cooking liquid. Toss to make sure that the pesto covers the pasta evenly.
Serve the pasta topped with warm tomato confit, extra parmesan cheese, and chopped pistachios. Drizzle with a little bit of Zucchi Sicilian IGP EVOO before serving.