Go Back
–+ servings
A white plate with rigatoni pasta in a creamy sauce, topped with bacon pieces and chopped pistachios. A metal fork rests on the side of the plate.
Print Recipe

Creamy Pistachio Pasta with Guanciale

A Sicilian classic: crispy guanciale, chopped pistachios, and a silky cream sauce that comes together while the pasta cooks. Rich, nutty, and ready in 20 minutes.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: easy pasta recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 983kcal
Author: Lora

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cubed guanciale or pancetta
  • 1 lb pasta rigatoni, penne, farfalle, or fusilli
  • 1 small onion finely diced (sweet onion, Vidalia, or shallot)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup chopped pistachios unsalted
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¾ cup low sodium broth chicken or vegetable
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano plus more for serving

Instructions

  • Heat a large skillet and add the cubed guanciale. Cook, stirring, until crisp and rendered, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Add the diced onion to the same skillet and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just under al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
  • Add butter to the skillet and let it melt.
  • Stir in half the crushed pistachios and cook about 1 minute.
  • Pour in the cream and broth, stirring gently to combine.
  • Add the cooked onion and guanciale back to the pan.
  • Taste and season with salt if needed, then add pepper. Stir in the grated cheese.
  • Add the pasta to the sauce and toss, loosening with reserved pasta water as needed.
  • Serve immediately with remaining pistachios, more cheese, and cracked pepper.

Notes

  • A six-step cooking collage: sautéing chopped squid, browned pieces, adding chopped onions, onions frying, pasta boiling in water, and a pat of butter melting in a pan.A step-by-step collage showing nuts and a brown ingredient being stirred into a frothy mixture, milk poured in, and a spoon then bowl adding caramelized onions. Each step is labeled 7 to 12.Three-step collage: creamy sauce with herbs (step 13), cooked rigatoni in a colander (step 14), and rigatoni mixed with sauce, bacon, and chopped pistachios on a plate (step 15).
  • Use unsalted pistachios to control the seasoning.
  • Finely crush the pistachios for a smoother sauce; my mom's trick is to wrap them in a dish towel and crush with a rolling pin.
  • Reserve pasta water before draining, it helps loosen the sauce and makes it cling to the pasta.
  • Keep the heat low once the cream is added to prevent the sauce from breaking. Guanciale is salty, so taste before adding extra.
  • Serve immediately, the sauce thickens as it sits.
  • Store: Airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 983kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 345mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2274IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 2mg