The nut of the future! 17 delicious ways with pistachios, from cakes to salads to cocktails
Pistachios are booming. In California, which has overtaken Iran as the top exporter in recent decades, growers are expected to harvest 1bn lb (about 450m kg) of them this year, a figure that is projected to double by 2031.
At a time when all forms of agriculture face stark choices because of climate breakdown, pistachio orchards are expanding: the trees are more drought-tolerant than many crops, including other nuts such as almonds. But if pistachios end up becoming the nut of the future, how will we cope with record-breaking harvests? For now, here are 17 delicious ways to use up your personal allotment of this year’s yield.
Like a lot of things we commonly call nuts, the pistachio technically isn’t one: it’s the seed of a pinkish fruit, protected by a shell that splits open with an audible crack as the crop approaches ripeness. You can buy them shelled or unshelled, but all the recipes below require them to be unsalted, raw and chopped roughly, finely or into a powder, depending. You can do this by hand, with a knife, or in a food processor or bean grinder, as you please.
In the kitchen, the pistachio’s versatility rivals any nut, and it can replace other types in lots of recipes. For example: pistachios can be used to make several varieties of pesto, depending on what leaves you have to hand. Rachel Roddy pairs pistachios with sage, but you can also substitute pistachios for pine nuts in a modified pesto alla Genovese. Ainsley Harriott recommends pistachio and mint pesto.
This vegan pistachio-based pasta from Meera Sodha – spaghetti with pistachio, chilli and lemon – is a simple weeknight supper, at least if you already have pistachios (if you’re minded to be that sort of person, they keep well in the freezer). If you are working with a shorter pasta, a Sicilian pistachio cream sauce with pancetta is probably more suitable, although obviously not vegan. There are dozens of versions of this out there, the main point of difference being that some cooks include garlic and others don’t. Here is one that does, because I would. I’m not sure which is more authentic but, going by past experience, I’ll assume I am doing it wrong.
Two more vegan pistachio suppers come from Sodha: herbed rice with saffron and pistachios and a tomato, pistachio and saffron tart. The former is a version of a traditional Persian dish, sabzi polo; the latter is Sodha’s own low-effort, high-reward innovation – the tart base is readymade puff pastry, topped with halved tomatoes and a pistachio paste (with garlic, saffron and coconut milk) and caramelised onions.
The combination of pistachios and chicken is, if not exactly familiar, at least intriguing. And sticky chicken with a pistachio crust is, frankly, too easy not to try. Chicken thighs are cooked most of the way through in the oven, before being brushed with honey, olive oil and fish sauce mixture, sprinkled with chopped pistachios and baked for another 10 minutes.
Pistachios figure in all sorts of salads, including this cucumber, date and pistachio salad, and this carrot, feta and mint one. For a more wintry take, Anna Jones deploys a pistachio gremolata (breadcrumbs, pistachios, honey, lemon and chilli) for her roasted pumpkin salad. If, however, you want to import a bit of summer into the darker months, you could do worse than Moro’s orange and grapefruit salad with pistachio sauce.
Pistachios are, of course, a venerable dessert ingredient. Nigel Slater’s pistachio and lemon cake is a perfect autumn treat, crumbly and comforting, enhanced with some ground almonds and a teaspoon of rosewater.
Benjamina Ebuehi’s pistachio cake with chocolate ganache is a slightly richer affair with its dark chocolate and cream glazed topping, while Thomasina Miers’ courgette and pistachio cake is probably a few degrees worthier.
Tamal Ray’s chocolate and pistachio macaroons are a quick indulgence, especially if you have a blender: chewy, nutty macaroons with a dark chocolate centre. He says they will keep so you can enjoy them over a couple of days, but the recipe makes only 12, which is enough to last about half an hour.
Finally, something you never knew you needed: a pistachio cucumber smash cocktail. This drink requires you to prepare a pistachio cordial (pistachios and sugar, simmered in water), combine it with gin, gently mashed cucumber, lime juice and ice, then serve in a tall glass rimmed with more crushed nuts. I can think of worse ways to use up pistachios.
