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for about 30 minutes. Then, while still hot, cut them in half and scoop out the meat; discard the shells.
Put the chestnut meat, 1 quart (960 ml) fresh water, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Cook until the chestnuts are extremely soft, about 20 minutes, mashing them every once in a while with a fork so the pieces are tiny.
Break the spaghetti in half, add it to the saucepan with the chestnuts and water, raise the heat to medium-high, and boil until the spaghetti is al dente. If the water is fully absorbed before the pasta is al dente, add a bit more boiling water. The idea is to balance the amount of liquid with the cooking time so you have a nice creamy “sauce” and, as with risotto, you won’t need to drain the pasta. Serve it topped with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of pepper.

PASTA WITH MINT-PISTACHIO PESTO
    { Pasta al pistacchio }
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    SERVES 4 | REGION: Sicily
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Pistachio and mint make an especially rich pesto with a lovely freshness. As an added benefit, pistachios—according to the Italians—may even be an aphrodisiac! “Wonderful in reawakening venereal appetites,” a Bolognese physician wrote of pistachios in 1612. An eighteenth-century Venetian herbalist claimed they “excite the fervors of Venus.” While I’m not positive about the aphrodisiac claims, I am sure this dish will get your taste buds tingling!
1 pound casarecce or any pasta
Salt
⅓ cup (40 g) shelled unsalted pistachios
About 40 fresh mint leaves
About 25 fresh basil leaves
Grated aged caciocavallo or pecorino cheese
1 garlic clove
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Boil the pasta in salted water until it is al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a small food processor, mortar and pestle, or clean coffee grinder, finely grind the pistachios. Next, grind in most of the mint and basil, then ¼ cup (25 g) of cheese and the garlic. Slowly stream in about ¼ cup (60 ml) oil until the pesto is creamy. Taste and grind in more mint or basil, if needed, or reserve the remaining leaves as garnish.
Toss the pasta with the pesto. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with more cheese, if you like, and the reserved basil and mint leaves.
SICILIAN PISTACHIOS
Sicily is the only region in Italy that cultivates pistachios, with the most prized coming from Bronte in the province of Catania. Each year, the town holds a pistachio festival from late September through the beginning of October, where visitors are treated to tastings of all sorts of dishes made with pistachios, including sausages, liqueurs, pasta dishes, and many desserts.



CHEAPSKATE PASTA
    { La pasta al risparmio }
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    SERVES 4 | REGION: Campania, especially Naples
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I love this recipe because there’s hardly any chopping or fussing. A handful of nuts, a few raisins for sweetness, capers and black olives for tang, with a hint of garlic and tomatoes—a feast in five minutes.
Poor families in Naples who couldn’t afford fish for Christmas Eve dinner would instead make this dish, using dried and canned pantry leftovers. In the area around Naples, this dish has quite a few names, none of them very appetizing, like “Garbage Pail” or “Cheapskate Pasta.”
Even though the hard times are over, Italians still make this delicious dish. It’s also available in some restaurants around Naples during the winter, but renamed as the cheerier sounding “Christmas Pasta.”
1 pound (455 g) fusilloni or any pasta
Salt
Olive oil
1 garlic clove, sliced
½ cup (55 g) chopped toasted assorted nuts such as hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds
2 heaping tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed
1 (14-ounce/400-g) can diced tomatoes
10 to 12 pitted oil-cured black olives, halved
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
¾ cup (67 g) minced fresh parsley
Boil the pasta in salted water until it is al dente.
Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat 5 tablespoons oil and the garlic until golden, then add the nuts, raisins, and capers and cook for a