There are many pistachio-flavoured baked goods and savory foods in Italy, so pistachio is quite prevalent in Italian cooking. Pistachios are grown in Italy, mostly in Sicily, and they are known to be of the utmost quality. Since such amazing quality pistachios are grown in Italy, it's easy to see why they are so popular in the country. In fact, pistachios are so popular the Sicilian government gave them protected status!