Pear and Pistachio Pie

This is hands down the best pie I’ve ever made or had. No exaggeration, my friends. The combination of the fragrant cardamom-stewed pears on top and the creamy pistachio paste at the bottom, all encased in a buttery flaky and perfect crust studded with *even more* pistachios is just absolute pastry heaven. I’m not trying to toot my own ‘pear and pistachio pie’ horn—just calling a spade a spade. I’ve baked a lot of pies in my day, some good, some great, some mediocre, and none even come close to comparing with this heavenly gem.

I think the pistachio is one of the most under-utilized nuts in cooking, if I’m being honest. When you puree pistachios into a paste, it frees up the oils in the nut, and there’s something almost floral that comes out of it. A truly shockingly delicate flavor, it’s strong enough to hold up to the heat of the oven and yet still taste like a sweet, nutty blossom afterwards. My favorite pesto recipe uses pistachios instead of walnuts, and this new-favorite pie uses their nearly magical flavoring powers instead of the more traditional domineering pecans and almonds of the pastry world.

But the pistachio doesn’t give itself away willy nilly. No, no. It makes you work for it. By shelling each little nut, one at a time. Of course, you can buy them already shelled, but it will cost you quite a bit more. And besides, I recommend buying pistachios shell-on anyway, (unless you’re planning on eating them all within a week), since the shell helps protect them and keeps them at optimum freshness longer. Plus, I feel like I always appreciate something more when I’ve had to work for it. My first car (which is still running all these years later), our house, the approval of my parents (kidding!…kind of.) It just feels all the more satisfying when you get it after you’ve put some elbow grease into it. This pear and pistachio pie is kind of like that—the reward is in the journey.

Eh, who am I kidding, the reward is most definitely in eating the pie, but I will say that the journey certainly helps enhance that experience. So, if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, throw on a podcast, and do a modest amount of pistachio-shelling, you’re in for a real treat. Oh! And if you’re really into the pattern on the top of the pie, I used this pie cut-out to create it. It didn’t actually cut cleanly through the crust, so I had to go over the imprinted design with a paring knife to really cut cleanly through the crust, but it still looked really lovely.

And one more important thing to note—because there is no added sugar in the stewed pear mixture, it’s of the upmost importance that you use ripe pears. It will make a HUGE difference in the flavor of the pear filling. Ripe pears should have a little give to the skin when you squeeze them, and should be *very* fragrant when you give them a sniff. Best of luck!