No-bake pistachio tiramisu

Brew 200 ml of strong coffee and pour it into a wide, shallow dish large enough to hold a ladyfinger. Set aside to cool completely, usually for 20–30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the dish and cream. Do not sweeten the coffee; it must be cool before dipping the biscuits so it does not soften the cream.

Have ready a dish about 20 × 20 cm and at least 6 cm deep. Divide the ladyfingers into two equal portions; break a few if needed to fill the corners later. Chop the pistachios and set aside for topping the finished dessert. Stir the pistachio paste in its jar if any oil has separated on the surface. Use paste without added sugar, not a sweetened spread.

Place the cold mascarpone, pistachio paste and sifted powdered sugar in a large bowl. Mix briefly on low speed, just until smooth and evenly combined. Do not overbeat, so the mascarpone does not turn runny. The cream's natural color will be muted, ranging from pale green to a light olive shade.

In a separate bowl, whip the cold cream until thick and fluffy with soft peaks. Stop before it becomes grainy. Stir one third into the mascarpone mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest, lifting the mixture from the bottom with a spatula. If the coffee has not yet cooled, keep the finished cream in the refrigerator.

Dip half the ladyfingers into the cold coffee one at a time: briefly on one side, then the other, lifting each one out immediately. Do not leave them to soak, as they will fall apart and release liquid. Arrange snugly on the bottom of the dish, filling any gaps with broken pieces. The biscuits will finish softening as the dessert chills.

Spread half the cream over the first biscuit layer, reaching into the corners. Briefly dip the remaining ladyfingers in the coffee in the same way and arrange them over the cream. Cover with the remaining pistachio cream, gently smoothing the top. You will have two layers of biscuits and two layers of cream. Do not pour any leftover coffee into the dish.

Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap, making sure it does not touch the cream, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours; you can leave it overnight. The cream should firm up noticeably and the biscuits should soften all the way through. Do not shorten this resting time: freshly assembled tiramisu will be too loose to portion.

Just before serving, sprinkle the reserved chopped pistachios over the entire surface. Divide the dessert into 8 portions and use a wide spatula to transfer them to small plates. The layers should be soft and creamy, with a crunchy topping. Serve chilled; cover any remaining tiramisu and return it to the refrigerator immediately.