There’s nothing quite like Italian pistachio gelato. Creamy, nutty, sweet, and complex, it’s miles away from those neon green, artificially flavored monstrosities you come across these days. When you’re craving the real thing, make it right at home thanks to Marco Colzani’s luscious crema di pistacchi. You don’t even need an ice cream maker. You’ll need to stir the gelato every 30 minutes or so over the course of a few hours as it freezes, but that’s the best way to guarantee a smooth texture. Just set a timer and don’t stray too far from the kitchen. If you’re feeling extra luxe, sprinkle each serving with a spoonful of chopped, toasted Bronte pistachios.
Ingredients
TIME: about 6 hours (active time: 30 minutes)
SERVES: 4-6
- Sugar, 120g / ½ cup
- Whole milk, 350ml / 1 ½ cups
- Heavy cream, 250ml / 1 cup
- Pistachio spread, 160g / ½ cup
- Whole Bronte pistachios, 30g / ¼ cup, toasted and coarsely chopped, to garnish (optional)
Preparation
- Put the sugar and whole milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Gently warm the milk, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves. Transfer to a metal bowl, cover, and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- In a large metal mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks with an electric mixer. Add the pistachio spread and whip for 30 seconds or so.
- Whisk in the chilled, sweetened milk by hand until everything is combined.
- Pour the mixture into a 9-inch / 23cm metal cake pan or similar. Place in the freezer for 4-5 hours to set. Every 30 minutes, whisk the gelato to break up the larger ice crystals.
- Transfer to a lidded container and store in the freezer.
- When ready to serve, scoop into serving bowls and sprinkle with the chopped, toasted pistachios.
