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Pistachio Panna Cotta

17/11/2023

Pistachio panna cotta is a soft and creamy spoon dessert, with a delicious touch of pistachios that enhance its flavor. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 500 ml of liquid cream
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 150 g of pistachio paste (you can also use ready-made or, if you have unsalted pistachios, you can finely blend them with a bit of oil to obtain a paste)
  • 10 g of sheet gelatin (or 5 g of powdered gelatin)
  • A few drops of vanilla essence (optional)
  • Unsalted pistachios, chopped, for decoration

Preparation

  1. Start by placing the gelatin sheets in a bowl with cold water to soften for about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the cream with the sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. It doesn’t need to boil, it just needs to become warm to dissolve the sugar and allow for the incorporation of the pistachio paste.
  3. When the cream is warm and the sugar is completely dissolved, add the pistachio paste and, if you wish, a few drops of vanilla essence. Stir well until you get a homogeneous mixture.
  4. Squeeze the gelatin sheets from the water and add them to the pistachio cream mixture, stirring until completely dissolved.
  5. Pour the panna cotta into single-serving molds or into a large bowl, depending on the presentation you prefer, and let it cool for a few minutes.
  6. Afterward, transfer the panna cotta to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, better if overnight, until it is well set.
  7. When ready to serve, decorate with chopped pistachios.

Curiosity

Panna cotta, which literally means “cooked cream,” originates from Piedmont, a region in northwestern Italy. It is said to have been invented by mothers in the Piedmont valleys in the early 1900s, but as often happens with traditional recipes, there are several areas that claim its paternity. The pistachio version is a delicious variation that combines the traditional sweetness of panna cotta with the unique and unmistakable flavor of pistachios, highly appreciated in Italian cuisine, especially in southern regions such as Sicily, where the pistachios of Bronte are famous worldwide.