Pistacchiosa Sicilian Pistachio Spread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For those who thought the Italians couldn’t top themselves after Nutella, we have good news. We recently discovered—and became obsessed with—Pistacchiosa, a sweet pistachio paste from Il Colle Del Gusto that renders other sweet spreads and nut butters second best. Made from Sicilian pistachios and extra-virgin olive oil, Pistacchiosa is a creamy, aromatic spread you will want to put on all your desserts and, yes, eat straight out of the jar.

The marriage of pistachio and olive oil came about via a different union, between Antonio Della Corte and Annamaria Conti. He worked in gelato and pastry shops creating sweet mixes; she ran a farm and bed-and-breakfast and loved to make her own olive oil. The rest is history. They started their company, Il Colle Del Gusto, and sold a line of spreads at farmers markets around Rome, among them Pistacchiosa. 

We love to pair this intensely rich pistachio butter with fruity flavors: raspberry or strawberry jam and marmalade or a handful of chopped dried cherries or apricots. Ribbon a layer through your favorite pound cake, or smear across warm hearty whole-grain toast sprinkled with coarse salt or crumbled fresh goat cheese and a drizzle of honey. We also like to fold Pistacchiosa into a batch of ice cream or gelato and serve with grated bittersweet chocolate. Add a thin veneer to sandwich cookies such as our Citrus-Plum Linzer Cookies —the possibilities are endless, if you can keep from eating Pistacchiosa straight off the spoon.

• Ingredients: Sicilian pistachios, sugar, extra virgin olive oil, rice flour, and sunflower lecithin as an emulsifier.

• 250 grams