Recipe: orecchiette pasta with pistachio pesto by Mateo Zielonka

Orecchiette with pistachio pesto, courgette and cherry tomatoes

Recipe from Pasta Masterclass by Mateo Zielonka

(Image credit: Dave Brown)

published 19 June 2023

I absolutely love pistachios, said Mateo Zielonka. Cracking them out of the shells to eat the roasted salted nut alongside an evening drink, baking ground pistachios in an olive oil cake with orange or lemon zest, blitzing them into a pesto to serve with pasta…

Pistachios give this recipe a Sicilian edge and add more body to the pesto than pine nuts. I like to use ribbed romana courgettes if I can find them, as they have such a lovely texture and flavour, but ordinary courgettes will work too.

Toast the pistachios in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat, shaking the pan occasionally until they are golden. This should take 5-7 mins.
Blitz the pistachios in a food processor, then add the basil and lemon juice. Pulse again and slowly add the olive oil through the funnel in the lid. You will end up with a dark green sauce with flecks of pistachio – how smooth you make it is up to you. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the courgettes and fry until golden. You will need to turn them so that they cook evenly. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for a further 2 mins – this will create steam inside the pan and will soften the courgettes.
Add the halved tomatoes and cook on a low heat for 5 mins, until the tomatoes have softened. Keep warm while you cook the orecchiette.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then season well with salt. Drop in the pasta and cook for 2-3 minutes so it retains some bite. Drain, reserving a jug of pasta cooking water, and transfer the pasta to the pan of courgettes and tomatoes.
Now add the pesto and a generous splash of the pasta cooking water. Toss everything together well and check the seasoning before serving into warmed bowls. Finish each plate with finely grated pecorino or parmesan.