walnut.png “Pesto” (Ital: paste) traditionally refers to the sauce made with basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and cheese, but one can make wonderful uncooked pasta sauces out of just about anything.  One of my favorite pestos is made from walnuts and a host of other fats, some good for you, some less so (although you can feel good about the amount of good, HDL-promoting fats and omega-3 fatty acids).  Despite the amount of lipids, this dish has a light yet savory flavor, which pairs well with dry white wines, and meats like sweet sausage, poultry, or fish.
This recipe makes enough sauce for two pounds of pasta — the leftover sauce freezes nicely.

Items

  • 7oz (ca. 1 1/3 cups) shelled walnut pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 Tb butter
  • 1/2 cup (approx.) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup parmaggiano reggiano, pecorino romano, or similar hard sharp cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb fusilli, gemelli, or similarly shaped pasta

Method

  1. Put the pasta water on to boil.
  2. In a food processor, chop the walnuts and the garlic until finely ground.
  3. Add the butter and cream and combine.
  4. Add the olive oil slowly while the processor is running until the sauce has a smooth, creamy texture.
  5. Add the cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.  When done, drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
  7. Toss half of the sauce to the pasta along with the reserved pasta water.

Serves 4-6.  Yum!