Sicilian Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Pancetta & Burrata

A close-up of a plate of creamy pasta made with rotini, topped with a poached egg, crushed pistachios, and fresh basil leaves.

The story behind this dish

Some meals stay with you long after the plates are cleared. This is one of them.

Last summer, my husband and I were in Taormina, perched at a little restaurant overlooking the sea, when a plate of pistachio pesto pasta arrived at our table. I still remember the first bite — silky, nutty, almost buttery — the kind of food that quiets the table because everyone’s too busy savoring it. Every forkful tasted like happiness.

A scenic view of a coastal landscape featuring a turquoise sea, rocky shoreline, and a small island under a clear blue sky with scattered clouds.

When we got home, my husband asked what I wanted for our first Sunday dinner back. I didn’t hesitate: that pistachio pasta. He’s spent the months since perfecting the recipe, and this version — finished with crispy pancetta and a torn ball of burrata — is the one we keep coming back to. It’s our little piece of Sicily, recreated at our kitchen table.

An assortment of ingredients for a recipe including olive oil, grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, black pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine, fusilli pasta, diced pancetta, garlic cloves, heavy cream, chopped basil, and pistachios, arranged on a countertop.

Ingredients

For the pistachio pesto (large batch — freeze what you don’t use):

  • 3 cups shelled, unsalted pistachios
  • 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Small handful of fresh basil (optional)

For the pasta:

  • 10–12 oz fusilli, rigatoni, or mezze rigatoni
  • 4 oz pancetta, diced
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • ¼–⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • ¾ cup prepared pistachio pesto
  • 1 ball of burrata
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A squeeze of lemon juice
  • Reserved pasta water

How to Make It

Step 1: Toast the pistachios

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread the pistachios on a sheet tray and toast for 6–8 minutes, until fragrant. You’re not looking for deep color here — just enough heat to wake up the oils and bring out their aroma. Let them cool completely before grinding (warm nuts turn pasty).

Step 2: Make the pistachio pesto

Add the pistachios, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and basil (if using) to a food processor and pulse until coarse. With the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture becomes creamy but still has some texture. Resist the urge to blend it completely smooth — those little pistachio flecks are what give the final sauce its signature rustic look and feel.

Reserve about ¾ cup for tonight’s pasta and freeze the rest in airtight containers.

Step 3: Render the pancetta

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta slowly until the fat renders out and the edges turn crisp and golden. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan — that’s flavor you don’t want to lose.

Step 4: Deglaze with white wine

Pour the white wine directly into the pancetta pan. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom and let the wine reduce by about 70%. This step adds the acidity and depth that keeps the finished sauce from feeling too rich.

Step 5: Build the sauce

Lower the heat. Add the heavy cream and warm gently for 2–3 minutes, then whisk in the pistachio pesto, followed by the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

A word of caution: don’t let the sauce come to an aggressive boil. Pistachio sauces can separate if they get too hot. If the sauce tightens up or starts to look oily, a splash of pasta water whisked in will bring the emulsion right back together.

Step 6: Cook the pasta

Boil the pasta in heavily salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

Add the pasta directly into the sauce and toss aggressively, adding small splashes of pasta water as you go, until the sauce becomes glossy, silky, and coats every piece. Fold the crispy pancetta back in.

Step 7: Finish & serve

Plate immediately and top with:

  • Torn burrata
  • Crispy pancetta
  • Fresh basil
  • Chopped pistachios
  • A squeeze of lemon juice
  • A drizzle of olive oil
  • Cracked black pepper

Serve hot, with extra Parmigiano at the table.

Notes & Tips

  • Don’t overheat the sauce. Nut-based sauces are delicate. Keep the heat low once the pesto goes in — patience here is the difference between silky and broken.
  • Pasta water is essential. It’s the starch that transforms a thick pesto into that glossy, restaurant-style sauce. Always reserve more than you think you need.
  • Freeze the pesto without dairy. Only freeze the pistachio-and-oil mixture — add the cream and cheese fresh each time you cook. The pesto keeps beautifully for up to 3 months and tastes like a shortcut to Sunday dinner on any weeknight.
  • Best pasta shapes. Short, ridged pasta wins here — fusilli, mezze rigatoni, and paccheri all have the grooves and curves needed to trap the sauce.
  • Use the best pistachios you can find. Sicilian Bronte pistachios are the gold standard if you can track them down, but any good-quality raw, unsalted pistachio will work.
  • Beyond pasta. That extra pesto in your freezer is a gift to your future self — try it spread on toasted bread, swirled into ricotta, spooned over grilled chicken, or tossed with roasted vegetables.

If you make this dish, I hope it brings a little of that Taormina sunshine into your kitchen too. Buon appetito. 🌿

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