Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over a medium heat, fry the onion in the oil and butter until soft, but not brown. Add the garlic and the pistachios and fry for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Transfer to a food processor and blitz until crumbly.
Return the mixture to the pan and add the cream, salt and pepper. Heat through and add the cooked drained pasta. Gently mix then transfer to serving plates.
Lightly crush the remaining pistachios and serve on top of the pasta.
Video
Notes
You’ll need a food processor to break down the pistachios to make the sauce. Alternatively, you can also use a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix or Ninja blender if you’d like the sauce to be creamy.
When frying the garlic, pistachios, and onion in the pan, be sure to saute until soft but not browned. Browned or overcooked onion and garlic could add a bitter taste to the sauce.
Make sure you buy pistachios that are unsalted so you can control the level of salt in the sauce.
Variations
Toss your favorite greens such as spinach, chopped kale, or arugula into the final dish.
Throw in some green peas for texture and natural sweetness.
Give the dish some heat by garnishing it with red pepper flake.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano.
Add a few tablespoons of pesto into the sauce for a bold basil and garlic flavor.