Creamy Pistachio Pasta with Crispy Guanciale
Tagliatelle pasta tossed in a creamy pistachio sauce made with garlic, basil, Pecorino Romano and topped with salty, crispy guanciale. This beautiful and comforting dish is so easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 4 - 6 servings
Calories: 678kcal
Ingredients
For the pistachio pesto
- ½ cup (70g) unsalted unroasted pistachios
- 1 cup (10g) fresh basil
- ½ clove garlic
- ½ cup (30g) Pecorino Romano , finely grated
- 4-5 tablespoons (50ml extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Rest of the ingredients
- 14 oz (400g) pasta we used tagliatelle
- 3.5 oz (100g) Guanciale can also use pancetta
- 1 cup (225ml) heavy cream
- ⅓ cup (25g) Parmigiano Reggiano , finely grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
- Meanwhile, put all ingredients for the pesto in a bowl and blitz to a smooth paste using an immersion blender. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.
- Trim the tough skin and grainy seasoning from the Guanciale then cut it into strips. Using a large pan, fry the guanciale until golden and crispy. Do this on a medium-low heat and don’t let it burn or it’ll turn bitter.
- Remove the crispy Guanciale to a plate and pour any remaining fat into a separate ramekin to discard later.
- Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Meanwhile, add the cream to the same pan you cooked the guanciale in and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat right down and add the Parmigiano Reggiano and pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until melted then turn off the heat.
- Add the pistachio pesto to the cream and stir until fully combined. Add a little splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- When your pasta is ready add it to the pan and toss in the sauce until completely coated. Serve in bowl topped with the crispy guanciale.
Notes
- Prep ahead - make your pistachio pesto first and set it aside. You can even do this the day before.
- Frying guanciale - make sure to do this on a medium to low heat. Add your guanciale to a cold pan then turn on the heat as it burns very easily and will turn bitter.
- Sauce consistency - adjust the consistency using pasta water to loosen it. It should be a thick but silky-smooth sauce.
- Storage and leftovers - like most cream-based sauces this will thicken quite a bit as it cools. It's best eaten immediately although can be stored in the fridge and reheated (loosen the sauce with a little water).
Nutrition
Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 798IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 2mg