Pistachio sauce is a condiment and dessert sauce which involves pistachio as main or one of the crucial ingredients. This sauce is integral part of Sicilian cuisine where it is served as a topping for crostini or it is teamed with vegetables or fish.
Pistachios are also valuable additions to some famous cheese sauces like gorgonzola cheese sauce which is served over gnocchi.
Folklore
It is not very clear as when the sauce was prepared for the first time but this spice was considered a symbol of love in many cultures. In Middle East the spice was served to ignite the passion of love in young married couples. It is believed that Queen of Sheba ordered this spice in large quantities to treat her royal guests because she have heard that a pistachio was the best aphrodisiac ever known to man.
Popular Pistachio Sauce Preparations
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Moroccan Pistachio Sauce – This sauce is a very popular side dish in Morocco where it is teamed with game birds or roasted quail. The sauce is prepared using ingredients like unsalted pistachio, parsley, garlic, chile and lemon juice. Olive oil and kosher salt is also added to the sauce. The sauce can remain fresh for about 3 days when stored under refrigeration.
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Sicilian Pistachio Sauce – This sauce is served with vegetables, fish or as a crostini topping. Garlic cloves, orange juice, moistened and dry breadcrumbs, orange zest, lemon juice are some of the ingredients which are blended with pistachio to make the sauce. This sauce can be thinned with the addition of olive oil. It can remain fresh for about 3-4 days under refrigeration. The taste of the sauce becomes more pungent with the passing time.
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Pistachio Dessert Sauce – This sauce is served with chocolate mousse and it is prepared using ingredients like milk, pistachio and sugar. Sometimes honey is also used in the place of sugar to make the sauce. This sauce can be served over other frozen desserts like ice cream or gelato.
Health Benefits
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Lowers Cholesterol – It has been found that people who incorporated pistachio in their foods and consumed them atleast 5 days in a week could lower their LDL and total cholesterol levels. The lowered cholesterol levels also cut down the risk of heart attacks. As pistachio is a monounsaturated fat but its consumption does not lead to weight gain.
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Slows down aging – Pistachios are known to contain fat soluble antioxidants which helps body to fight against lipid peroxides. These chemicals are produced when oxygen starts interacting with fats in absence of antioxidants.