Pistachio Gelato Recipe
This homemade pistachio gelato is creamy, silky, and packed with real pistachio flavor. Made with a smooth homemade pistachio paste and a Sicilian-style gelato base, it’s a dreamy Italian frozen dessert that’s absolutely worth making from scratch.
Servings 1.5 quarts (6 cups/1.5 L)
Ingredients
For the Gelato Base
- 1 batch Sicilian-Style Gelato Base (recommended), or Classic Gelato Base
For the Pistachio Paste
- 1 ½ cups raw shelled unsalted pistachio nuts
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- For the gelato base: Make the gelato base of your choice, then strain it into a bowl or airtight container.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The gelato base must be very cold before churning: this will produce the smoothest, silkiest texture.
- To speed up the cooling process, you can chill the gelato base over an ice bath. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water, then set the bowl of warm gelato base inside it, making sure no water gets into the base. Stir occasionally until the base is thoroughly chilled. For best results, refrigerate until very cold before churning.
- To make the pistachio paste: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the shelled pistachio nuts and simmer for two minutes. This blanches the nuts and makes them easier to peel and grind later on.
- Drain the pistachios, then rinse them under cold water to cool completely.Dry the nuts with paper towels. If the nuts still have their skins on, I strongly recommend peeling them for the best texture and color.To peel a pistachio, simply pinch it between your fingers: the skin should come right off. This step takes a bit of work, but it’s worth it.
- Put the blanched and peeled nuts in the bowl of a high-speed blender or food processor, then add the sugar. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground, stopping from time to time to scrape down the sides of the container or bowl.
- Add 1 cup (250 ml) of the cold gelato base and process until the mixture is as smooth and creamy as your appliance will make it. Some tiny pistachio bits will remain, and that’s ok.
- To make the pistachio gelato: Whisk the pistachio paste into the remaining cold gelato base. For the smoothest texture, blend the full mixture once more with a high-speed blender or a stick blender.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Stop the machine when the gelato is frozen but still soft and creamy.
- STORAGE: Transfer the pistachio gelato to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about two hours.Pistachio gelato is at its creamiest and best if enjoyed within 2 weeks. Past that, some ice crystals will inevitably start forming, especially if the gelato is kept in the freezer section of a regular fridge, as opposed to a chest freezer, and the texture won’t be quite as smooth. The gelato will still be perfectly edible for up to 2 months, but my advice is: enjoy it as quickly as possible after churning.
- SERVING: Always take pistachio gelato out to room temperature 20 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop. This will also allow you to enjoy the treat at its ideal temperature and texture.
Video
Notes
If using pure store-bought pistachio paste, start with 1/4 cup (50 g) paste for one batch of Sicilian-style gelato base. Taste the chilled base before churning and add up to 2 additional tablespoons (25 g) if you want a stronger pistachio flavor.
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