Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 350 g spaghetti
- 15 g kosher salt
Buttered Pistachios
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 40 g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
Sauce and Vegetables
- 30 ml olive oil
- 4 garlic, minced
- 30 g capers, drained
- 1 g red pepper flakes
- 150 g fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
- 30 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 40 g vegetarian parmesan cheese, grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 582 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbohydrates
- 68 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1787 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 31 mg
- Potassium
- 521 mg
- Calcium
- 195 mg
- Iron
- 3.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 50 mg
- Phosphorus
- 296 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 282 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 189 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 81 mcg
- Water
- 48 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente, usually 9 to 11 minutes. Reserve 100ml of starchy pasta water before draining the noodles.
While the pasta is boiling, melt 15g of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped pistachios and toast for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer the buttered pistachios to a small bowl and wipe the skillet clean.
In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, capers, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is highly fragrant and pale gold. Do not let the garlic brown.
Add the fresh baby spinach to the skillet in large handfuls. Toss continuously with tongs until the leaves are just wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the drained pasta, the remaining 30g of butter, grated vegetarian Parmesan, and a splash of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss vigorously off the heat until the butter and cheese melt into a glossy sauce that coats the noodles. Add more pasta water if the dish seems dry.
Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Top generously with the reserved buttered pistachios and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For a truly vegetarian dish, ensure you source a Parmesan-style cheese made with microbial or plant-based rennet rather than traditional animal rennet.
- Rinsing the capers before use will temper their briny bite, but adding them straight from the jar enhances the sharp, salty punch that balances the rich butter.
- Toasting nuts in butter adds incredible depth. Keep the heat moderate to prevent the milk solids in the butter from burning before the pistachios finish toasting.
- The starch in the pasta water is the secret to bringing this pan sauce together. Do not skip reserving it, and use it generously to build your emulsion.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The pistachios will lose their crunch over time.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water to refresh the sauce.
Troubleshooting
The sauce is dry, sticky, or clumpy rather than glossy.
Cause: Not enough pasta water was used, or the cheese melted unevenly due to high direct heat.
Fix: Add 15 to 30ml of hot pasta water and toss vigorously with tongs to re-emulsify the sauce.
Prevention: Always reserve ample pasta water and perform the final mixing step off direct heat.
The garlic tastes bitter.
Cause: The garlic was cooked too long or at too high of a temperature.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. If the garlic is visibly burnt before adding spinach, wipe the pan out and start the sauce over.
Prevention: Keep the heat at medium and have the spinach ready to add immediately after the garlic turns pale gold.
Cultural Context
This dish reflects modern American weeknight cooking, blending the bright, briny profiles of Mediterranean pantry staples like capers and olive oil with the rich, comforting elements of butter and Parmesan. The addition of buttered pistachios introduces a playful textural contrast that elevates a simple pantry meal into a restaurant-quality experience.
