Pasta alla Brontese: the original recipe

Pasta alla brontese is the original recipe prepared with pistachio in the small town on Mount Etna. Among the little houses, perched amidst ups and downs, stairs and steps, the local women prepare this dish using the gold of Etna: the green Bronte pistachio. To prepare it, you need Bronte pistachio bits, pancetta, and heavy cream. This refers to farfalle alla brontese: a first course steeped in history, hard work, and tradition.

The person who first shared this delicious recipe with me is my friend Giusy. She and her husband, Giuseppe, were both born in Bronte, and their families, who originate from this town on Mount Etna, are the keepers of the recipe you are about to read.

To prepare pistachio pasta for 2 people, typically cooked in the town of Bronte, you will need: 30g of pistachio bits (Bronte, obviously), 50g of smoked pancetta or alternatively speck, 50g of fresh sheep's milk ricotta, a shallot or spring onion, half a glass of brandy or white wine, extra virgin olive oil, and salt to taste.

Put the pot on the stove and arrange the ingredients on your workspace. Take a non-stick pan, in which you will prepare the sauce to dress the pasta. Choose a large one. Once cooked, you will need to pour everything into the pan. Turn on the heat, at a moderate flame, and add a drizzle of oil and the finely chopped shallot. Sauté lightly, adding a little water so the onion doesn't burn. Keep the flame low: the brontese sauce cooks slowly. After a minute, add the pancetta or speck. As soon as it is golden, let the pancetta meet the pistachio bits from Bronte. At this point, deglaze with half a glass of brandy. If you don't have this liquor, you can use white wine as an alternative. Let the wine evaporate and, only then, add the ricotta. If the sauce is too dry, add some pasta cooking water to soften everything and make the sauce creamier.

Tip: Giusy always recommends that I use short pasta. That’s why today I chose farfalle. You can also use penne, fusilli, or caserecce. The choice is yours. Serve everything with a sprinkling of pistachio and for an even more inviting look, dust it all with raw pistachio bits.

Luca Mauro Consoli