It's finally spring! That calls for something light and fresh for dinner even though it's not quite salad weather yet in most places. This vegetarian pasta fits the bill perfectly with hints of lemon, fresh basil and toasty walnuts. I actually like the walnut pesto better than regular pesto because the walnuts (and walnut oil) give it a depth of flavor. I encourage you to buy the walnut oil rather than using regular olive oil because it does make a difference. You should be able to find it with the other oils in most grocery stores. I like it in salad dressings as well - particularly if the salad will have some nuts - because it's so aromatic and delicious and will echo the nut flavor.
This pasta dish is very easy to make, and very fast. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread and you've got a great vegetarian meal.
Walnut Pesto Pasta
Serves 6
2 cloves garlic, roughly
chopped
2 cups firmly packed fresh
basil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea
salt, plus more to taste
Ground black pepper, to
taste
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup lightly toasted
walnuts, plus finely chopped walnuts for garnish
6 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano
Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for garnish
1 pound fresh fettuccine
or linguine
Combine garlic, basil,
salt, pepper, lemon zest and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until combined, scraping
down sides of food processor bowl as needed. Slowly add walnut oil and olive
oil, pulsing until combined. Add cheese and process briefly. Do not over
process or pesto will have very little texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning,
keeping in mind that cheese adds salt, so additional salt may not be needed.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Thin pesto with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to achieve a sauce that will coat pasta. Drizzle pesto over pasta and toss to combine. Garnish with chopped walnuts and grated cheese.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Thin pesto with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to achieve a sauce that will coat pasta. Drizzle pesto over pasta and toss to combine. Garnish with chopped walnuts and grated cheese.
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