Thick, creamy, and loaded with sweet, nutty flavor from homemade pistachio paste and a hint of almond extract, this pistachio ice cream is rounded out by a smattering of dark chocolate pieces, making it 100% crave-able.
In the bowl of a food processor, process pistachio nuts until finely crushed. Drizzle in the heavy cream through the feed tube. The mixture will be paste-like. Set aside.
Heat the half and half and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until pale yellow and thick, about 5 minutes. Temper the egg yolks by splashing in a very small amount of the warm half and half mixture while whisking constantly. Slowly pour the tempered egg yolks into the saucepan with the half and half and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Add the heavy cream into a large bowl then pour in the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add the almond extract (if using) then whisk in the pistachio paste until evenly dispersed and there are no clumps remaining. Cover the bowl and let chill for at least 6 hours in the refrigerator.
Once chilled, pour the mixture into the bowl of the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add in the dark chocolate and churn until evenly dispersed throughout the ice cream.
Scoop ice cream out into a freezer-safe container and freeze overnight.