How to Roast Pistachios

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Things You'll Need

  • Oil

  • Herbs and spices (optional)

  • Baking sheet

Roasting adds complexity to the classic taste of pistachios without taking their identity, and enriches their fragrance by aromatizing their oil. Coating the humble yet elegant pistachio with a spice paste before roasting lets you take them in any direction you like -- a spicy South Indian curry, a Southwestern lime-and-cilantro mix and a simple Italian olive-oil-and-basil rub all work here. For the purists, a little oil and coarse salt fits the bill. Both shelled and in-shell pistachios use the same roasting method.

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Step 1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add about 2 teaspoons of oil to a mixing bowl for every cup of pistachios you want to roast.

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Step 2

Add the spices and herbs for the spice paste, if desired; you need about 1 teaspoon each for 1 cup of pistachios. Spice mixes, such as Chinese five-spice powder and curry pastes, work well, too. Add salt to taste.

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Step 3

Add the pistachios to the mixing bowl and coat them with the paste. If you're roasting in-shell pistachios, work the spice paste into the cracks in the shells with your fingers.

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Step 4

Spread the pistachios out in an even layer on a baking sheet and place them in the oven. Slide the pan back and forth to turn the pistachios after 10 minutes if they're in the shell; turn the pistachios after 5 minutes if not.

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Step 5

Roast in-shell pistachios for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the spice paste appears baked in. Roast shelled pistachios for 10 minutes, then taste for doneness.

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Step 6

Take the pan out of the oven and let the pistachios cool to room temperature. Store the nuts in an airtight container at room temperature and consume within 2 to 3 days.

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