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Rigatoni with Pistachio, Ricotta and Herb Pesto

Rigatoni with Pistachio, Ricotta and Herb Pesto

A rich, creamy combination of pistachios and ricotta cheese, inspired by Sicilian cuisine.

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    25 minutes
  • Rating

Sicily is famous for its pistachios, as well as for ricotta cheese. In this recipe, we blend the two, along with fresh basil and chives, to create a simple pesto to toss with al dente pasta. There’s no need to grate the Parmesan—simply cut it into chunks and toss the pieces into the blender. The pesto is good on a wide variety of pasta shapes, but the hollow centers and surface ridges of rigatoni do a particularly good job of gripping the rich, creamy sauce.

Tip

Don’t use toasted or roasted pistachios. We’re usually fans of toasted nuts, but this is a case where raw pistachios are best. Their bright color and natural sweetness are key for a vibrant, full-flavored pesto. Also, don’t forget to reserve some of the pasta water before draining the rigatoni. You’ll need some of the starchy seasoned liquid to thin out the pesto.

Ingredients
  • 1

    pound rigatoni or other short tubular pasta

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1⅓

    cups whole-milk ricotta cheese

  • ¾

    cup raw pistachios, plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios

  • 2

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve

  • 2

    ounces Parmesan cheese (without rind), cut into 4 or 5 pieces

  • ½

    cup lightly packed fresh basil

  • ¼

    cup roughly chopped fresh chives

Step 1

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to boil. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Step 2

In a blender, combine the ricotta, the whole pistachios, oil, Parmesan, basil, chives, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and blend until creamy, about 1 minute; the pesto should have a consistency similar to yogurt.

Step 3

Pour the pesto over the pasta and stir, adding more reserved pasta water as needed so the sauce coats the noodles.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with additional oil and sprinkled with the chopped pistachios.

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