Pistachio paste (Green)

[professorbeezer]

Any ideas of what to do with this - it was a gift. I don't want to make an ice cream. Maybe something savory?

[AGallagh]

Check out Club Cuisine by Edward Leonard. He's got a fabulous recipe for a pear and pistachio mousse. I plan to try it this month, but can't find pistachio paste so will have to make my own. I am so jealous of you!

[rockycat]

Nick Malgieri's chocolate book has a great candy recipe that uses pistachio paste, if I remember correctly. But a lot of recipes that call for almond paste could use pistachio paste if you like the flavor.

[JudiAU]

Taste it, because there is a good chance your paste has other sweet ingredients in it that make it more suitable for pastry than savoury.

[Smokey]

I bought pistachio paste from KA flour, and at least the product they sell is definitely sweet. It would be difficult to adapt into a savoury dish.

I used it to make pistachio buttercream (which was, IMHO, delicious!).

[professorbeezer]

It's actually more like a (Lemon)curd-like smooth texture. I have used the almond paste before for tarts but this one stumps me!

[funkymonkey]

is there sugar in it? if not, i had a really interesting wonderful dish at a restaurant just down the block from us: bucatini with sicilian pistachio pesto. i asked for the recipe and it's basically just a 3:1 ratio of toasted pistachios and toasted pinenuts pureed in a blender and then some olive oil added, along with salt and pepper. it was garnished with some chopped pistachios, toasted breadcrumbs, and pecorino romano. it was absolutely wonderful. it seems like you might be able to create something like that using your pistachio paste.

also could it replace peanut butter, on toast? or whisk it with some olive oil and wine vinegar to make a salad dressing?

it sounds yummy! let us know what you wind up using it for!

[nyclibkat]

I have used an almond-pistachio paste to make a pear tart. Don't have a recipe in front of me at the moment but I used one out of a Moosewood cookbook. You have to mix the paste w/something?? (milk I think? or eggs - cant remember) to soften it a bit. I also grated the paste through a cheese grater first to get finer pieces before mixing/softening. Made a brisee tart crust, smoothed in the paste mixture, then lay sliced pears on top and baked.

Pretty damn delicious, but the paste has to be rather soft & fresh to begin with and its kind of a pain in the butt to work with.

[Candy]

Maybe a macaroon like you might make with almond paste? There is a recipe for a very good macaroon at Epicurious, pignoli cookies. It would probably work for that.