Gelato al Pistacchio
Milk-based gelato built on real pistachio paste, not food coloring, which is why it comes out muted and brownish-green instead of bright artificial green.
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total
- 30 min
- serves
- 6
- level
- medium
Gelato is lower in fat and churned slower than ice cream, which is what gives it that dense, close texture rather than a light, airy one. This version is built on milk thickened lightly with cornstarch rather than a heavy egg custard, then finished with real pistachio paste, ideally made from Bronte pistachios.
Good pistachio gelato is never bright green; that color means food coloring. Real pistachio paste gives a muted, slightly brown-green that actually tastes like pistachio.
Gelato al Pistacchio is one of the twenty most famous Italian foods.
method
Whisk the cornstarch with a splash of the cold milk until smooth, to avoid lumps later.
Warm the remaining milk, cream, sugar and salt in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves.
Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Do not let it boil hard.
Off the heat, whisk in the pistachio paste until fully smooth.
Cool completely, then chill the base in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Churn in an ice cream maker according to its instructions until thick and holding soft peaks.
Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 2 hours before scooping. Serve with chopped pistachios if using.
chef's tips
- Real pistachio paste, unsweetened and uncolored, is the one ingredient worth buying properly for this.
- Chill the base fully before churning; a warm base churns into an icy, grainy gelato.
- Gelato is served slightly softer than ice cream; let it sit out a few minutes before scooping.