Spaghetti with Pistachio Pistou
I was vegetarian for almost my entire childhood, and this week’s French in a Flash for Serious Eats explains how it came to pass that I ate almost nothing but vegetables and pasta for a decade. But it was not without its travails, and in my version of the ugly duckling, Spaghetti with Pistachio Pistou, Fava Beans, and Mint was just the thing to help me find my wings. As always, the complete story and recipe are available here. Bon app!
Spaghetti With Pistachio Pistou, Fava Beans, And Mint
serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- 1 clove of garlic
- The leaves from 3 or 4 sprigs of mint, plus extra for garnish
- 1 1/4 cups shelled toasted unsalted pistachios
- 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan, plus extra to top the pasta
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup shelled blanched fava beans
- Salt and pepper
Procedure
- Cook the pasta until it is al dente in a large pot of well salted, vigorously boiling water.
- Meanwhile, make the pistou by smashing together the garlic, mint, salt, and pepper in a food processor.
- Add in the Parmesan and butter, and pulse until combined.
- Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
- Toss the pasta with the pistou and the fava beans, moistening as necessary with the reserved cooking water. Top with sliced mint leaves, extra chopped pistachios, and Parmesan.