With their intense color and unmistakable flavor, pistachios are just as exquisite in savory dishes as they are in desserts. When combined with rice, pasta, vegetables, fish, and meat, they add a particular softness and an intensely sweet aroma to the dishes. It can be reduced into a paste to cream risotto or to enrich sauces and gravies.
To prepare pistachio paste, soak the shelled pistachios in a pan of water to rehydrate them. Use the unpeeled ones, as the skin, contains most of the flavors, and leave them in a cool place overnight.
Bring the pistachios and their soaking water to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Let cool, then drain, keeping the water. Peel the skin off by rubbing each pistachio between your fingers, then filter the cooking water.
Blend the pistachios with a pinch of salt and the cooking water, adding a little at a time so that the mixture is creamy and not too fluid.
And now, here are 15 of our favorite pistachio recipes.