Serves 2
Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh pasta of your choice
1 cup medium sliced Speck
1/2 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup ground pistachios (unsalted), ground in a blender, food processor, or with a mortar and pestle.
Optional- My idea to add more color and flavor, add 1 cup fresh basil leaves, blanch first in boiling water with baking soda added for several seconds, then shock in an ice bath to retain vibrant green color, a trick I learned at Toscana Saporita Cooking School in Italy. (add to the pistachios when pulsing in the food processor)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 cup heavy cream (may substitute with half and half for dietary purposes)
fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
crushed red pepper
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Boil pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente.
Saute onions in a medium sized pan.
Add in Speck to slightly brown.
Grind the pistachios with basil and the olive oil.
Add ground pistachio, basil, oil mix.
Add heavy cream and simmer on low heat
Add in red pepper, salt, and ground pepper.
Carefully toss ingredients together, top with fresh Parmesan cheese.
Note: this is also great with the addition of shrimp. I suggest 3 large to jumbo shrimp per person, peeled, and deveined, if pre-cooked, add in at the last minute whole, or remove tails and dice, if not cooked, add in after the Speck.
