I had good memories of the Sicilian pistachio gelato and had a hard time finding an ice cream store that could make a good Italian gelato.
The gelato is not as rich in fat as ice cream, and its texture is a bit less tender than what you're used to when getting a scoop at your favorite gelateria — but the flavor is just divine. It has sharp, intense flavors that really make the difference.
Difference between gelato and ice cream
Let's start off by saying that gelato is the Italian word for ice cream. There is no other word for ice cream in Italian, and there's no difference in Italy between the terms.
Outside Italy — especially in France — ice cream makers use different proportions and ingredients, and that's where the main difference between Italian gelato and French/American ice cream comes from. Let's go over some of those differences.
Gelato is lower in fat content. Milk is the dominant ingredient, with cream in lower proportions and fewer egg yolks — or no egg yolks at all.
Gelato is churned at a slower rate, mixing less air into the ice cream. That makes it denser on one hand, but more elastic on the other.
Because the texture is dense, the serving temperature of gelato is a bit higher. This is how the combination of less air and less fat can still allow the gelato to be elastic.
Gelato has intense flavors. There's less fat from cream and egg yolks, which would otherwise dim the flavors — this is why gelato is great with fruits, nuts, and any flavor you want to shine.
Making the Sicilian pistachio gelato
Due to the low fat content, you'll need to use a high amount of pistachio paste. Now, this stuff is expensive, so I wouldn't recommend making this pistachio gelato with a store-bought paste. You can find a homemade pistachio paste recipe that's easy and cheap to make, and it'll produce plenty of pistachio gelato.
One of the important tips for gelato making is to cook the custard for longer than usual, to evaporate a higher percentage of water and reduce the chance of crystallization in the deep freeze.
Most home ice cream makers have only one speed for churning. For gelato, you need less air — so ice cream makers today offer another churning device that reduces the amount of air going into the mixture, simply by its shape, which is less aerodynamic than the standard one.
Method
1
making the gelato base· 20 minutes
Mix half a cup of milk with the corn flour creating a slurry.
Set a medium saucepan on high heat, boil the remaining 1 cup of milk with the heavy cream, sugar, corn syrup and salt.
When the milk mixture comes into a simmer, reduce heat to low, add the corn flour slurry and mix gently until the custard thickens, for about 5-6 minutes.
Strain the custard to remove any lumps, cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
2
churning the Gelato
Take the gelato base out of the fridge, mix in the pistachio paste and the lemon juice.
Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Best served immediately, or freeze for later use.
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
Can I use store-bought pistachio paste instead of homemade?▾
Yes, absolutely — the recipe works with either. Just make sure it's 100% pistachio with no added sugar or oil if you want to control the flavor.
Do I really need an ice cream maker to churn this?▾
The recipe calls for churning according to your machine's instructions, so yes, a machine is the intended method here. No-churn workarounds aren't covered in this recipe.
Can I swap corn flour for something else?▾
This recipe uses corn flour specifically as the thickener for the base, so stick with it — it's what gives gelato that dense, creamy texture without eggs.
Why do you add lemon juice to a pistachio gelato?▾
It brightens the flavor and keeps the pistachio paste from tasting flat — add it when you mix the paste into the chilled base, not before.
How far ahead can I make the gelato base?▾
The recipe says to freeze the base for at least 4 hours, but overnight works even better — so yes, you can easily prep it the day before churning.
