Pistachio Recipe

Toast pistachios

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Spread the shelled pistachios in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 6–8 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Remove and let cool slightly.

Make pistachio paste

Place the toasted pistachios in a food processor. Pulse until crumbly, then process continuously scraping down as needed. Add the 1 tablespoon neutral oil and the powdered sugar, and continue processing until a smooth-ish paste forms (a few minutes). If you prefer a brighter green, add up to 1/4 tsp green food coloring and pulse to combine. Set aside.

Reserve mix-ins

Chop 1/4 cup toasted pistachios coarsely for garnish/mix-ins. Reserve separately.

Warm dairy

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Warm over medium heat until steam appears and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil).

Whisk eggs and sugar

While dairy warms, whisk 4 egg yolks with 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thickened (about 1–2 minutes).

Temper eggs

Slowly drizzle about 1/3 of the hot milk-cream into the yolk-sugar mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, whisking to combine.

Cook custard

Cook the mixture over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon (about 5–8 minutes). The temperature should reach about 170–175°F (77–80°C) if using a thermometer. Do not boil.

Strain and cool

Remove from heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Let cool for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Incorporate pistachio paste

While the custard is still warm but not hot, whisk in the prepared pistachio paste until fully incorporated and the custard turns pistachio-green and homogeneous. If needed, use an immersion blender for 10–20 seconds to fully emulsify the paste into the custard.

Chill custard

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Chilling improves texture and flavor melding.

Churn

Once chilled, pour the custard into a prepared ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency (usually 20–30 minutes).

Add pistachio pieces

In the final 2–3 minutes of churning, add the reserved 1/4 cup toasted chopped pistachios so they are distributed evenly.

Harden

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, smooth the top, and press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Freeze for at least 4 hours to firm up.

Serve

Scoop and serve chilled. Garnish with additional chopped toasted pistachios if desired. One generous serving (about 1 cup) corresponds to the menu calorie note (approx. 695 kcal per serving — if this is for an individual portion, adjust serving size accordingly).