Penne with Pistachios

Ingredients (for 2 people):

• 200 g power pasta (protein pasta)

• 100 g pistachio nuts (unsalted, ideally without shell)

• 1 garlic clove

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 50 g Parmesan (grated)

• 100 ml cream sauce light (optional for a creamy consistency)

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

• Fresh herbs (e.g. basil or parsley) for garnish

Preparation:

1st Cook the pasta : Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt and cook the penne al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Keep some of the cooking water.

2nd Prepare the pistachios : Roughly chop the pistachios. If you are using unshelled pistachios, shell them first.

3. Prepare pistachio pesto : Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the chopped garlic until fragrant. Then add the pistachios and fry for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the pistachios.

4th Combine the pasta and sauce : Add the cooked penne to the pan with the pistachios. Mix everything well. If you want a creamier sauce, add the light cream sauce and stir everything well. Thin with some of the reserved cooking water if the sauce is too thick.

5th Seasoning and serving : Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir in the Parmesan cheese to make the sauce nice and creamy.

6th Serving : Arrange the pasta on plates, garnish with fresh herbs and sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Bon appetit!