Pistachio Gelato
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Pistachio gelato is rich and creamy and full of pistachio flavor. It will remind you of the perfect scoop from an Italian gelato shop, without the expensive plane ticket! This recipe uses pure pistachio paste which gives it a rich, authentic Italian gelato taste and saves the trouble of peeling, and grinding pistachios (which I’ve done!).
I use the same basic custard ratio for the gelato base for all my ice cream recipes. While some recipes call for a few as 1-2 egg yolks and as many as 6, I’ve found the sweet spot to be 5. This lets the flavor of the gelato shine through without making it overly “custardy”.
What’s the difference between gelato and ice cream?
While both have similar ingredients, ice cream has a higher fat content, with some recipes using all or mostly heavy cream, while gelato has a lower butterfat content. I’m sure this is a personal preference, but I don’t like an overly rich ice cream, so I make all my ice cream and gelato recipes with a ratio of 3 parts whole milk to 1 part cream which I think is the perfect balance.
Gelato does not have as much air churned into it resulting in a denser finished product. In any case, most home ice cream machines don’t have the capacity to churn that much air into the ice cream base anyway.
While many fruit based gelato flavors do not contain egg yolks as it tends to mask the delicate fruit flavor, chocolate and nut based gelatos can handle the addition of yolks.
Gelato is traditionally served at a slightly higher temperature than ice cream which brings out the gelato’s full flavor.
How to get rich pistachio flavor
While you can certainly go to an artisan ice cream shop and spend $5 on a scoop, homemade gelato means you can control every single ingredient. You can use natural ingredients, and avoid corn syrup, artificial ingredients, and colors. If you can’t find Pure Pistachio Paste, you can make your own pistachio paste in the same way you’d make a nut butter. You can also use a pistachio nut infusion.
Making pistachio paste
- Shell and peel raw pistachios.
- Remove the brown skins by plunging them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then ice water.
- Rub the nutmeats in a clean kitchen towel to remove skins.
- Lightly toast the peeled pistachios in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.
- Grind the toasted pistachios in a food processor until finely ground to a creamy consistency like peanut butter.
Pistachio infusion
You can also make a pistachio infusion. Follow the directions above.
Once the pistachios are finely chopped, add them to 3 cups of milk brought to a simmer.
Turn off heat and let milk and pistachios sit for 2 hours at room temperature. The milk and pistachios can also be refrigerated overnight for more flavor. Using a sieve or cheesecloth, strain the pistachios and discard.
Proceed with the recipe using the infused milk.
Ingredients for pistachio ice cream (gelato)
I always add a small amount of alcohol to all my ice cream, sorbets, and gelato recipes. A small amount of alcohol inhibits the ice cream from fully freezing thus eliminated the formation of ice crystals. It also gives it a creamy, smooth texture, and makes it easier to scoop. Of course the addition of alcohol is optional. Make Meringues with any leftover egg whites. Don’t expect a dark green “pistachio” color. This recipe does not contain any artificial colors or flavors.
- whole milk
- sugar
- kosher salt
- vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- egg yolks
- heavy whipping cream
- pistachio paste
- brandy (optional)
How to make homemade pistachio gelato
Plan at least a day ahead. While you can eat the ice cream the same day you make it, I think it’s better the next day. For best results, let it fully cure in the freezer for at least 8 hours to overnight.
- In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and koshers salt together until thick and light yellow.
- In a medium saucepan, bring whole milk to a gentle simmer.
- Temper egg mixture by adding a ladle of hot milk to yolks and sugar. Slowly whisk and continue adding milk to yolks until about 1/2 is added.
- Then add back egg and milk mixture to pan, continuing to whisk.
- Bring custard base back to a gentle simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until custard is thicker, and coats the back of a spoon, about 6-8 minutes.
- Remove base from heat and whisk in pistachio paste, vanilla extract, and brandy.
- Strain gelato mixture through a Fine Mesh Sieve, into a large bowl over an ice bath.
- Chill the gelato base in the refrigerator for a few hours. Chilling will help the gelato freeze more quickly.
- Follow the directions for your ice cream machine to freeze.
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Here are more homemade ice cream, sherbet and sorbet recipes
Here are some of my favorite ice cream making tools!
These are available at my Amazon Store Front.
Pistachio Gelato
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker Compressor
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large egg yolks
- 4 ounces pistachio paste
- 2 Tablespoons brandy (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and kosher salt together until thick and light yellow.
- Heat milk in a large sauce pan just until simmering.
- Temper egg mixture by adding a ladle of hot milk to yolks and sugar. Slowly whisk and continue adding milk to yolks until about 1/2 is added.
- Then add back egg and milk mixture to pan, continuing to whisk. Bring custard base back to a gentle simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until custard is thicker, and coats the back of a spoon, about 6-8 minutes.
- Remove base from heat and whisk in pistachio paste, vanilla extract, and brandy.
- Strain gelato mixture through a Fine Mesh Sieve, into a large bowl over an ice bath to cool base.
- Chill the gelato base in the refrigerator for a few hours. Chilling will help the gelato freeze more quickly.
- Follow your ice cream manufacturer's instructions to churn ice cream.
- Pack ice cream in airtight container and freeze several hours or overnight to cure
