| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 ounces shelled walnuts
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- 1 slice bread, crusts removed
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1 ounce grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil (preferably Ligurian)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 pounds any flat short pasta
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Put a large saucepan of water on to boil, and toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan until they begin to make a nutty aroma. Put the bread in a bowl and cover with the milk. Put most of the toasted walnuts (reserving about 1 ounce for garnish) into a blender along with the garlic, bread soaked in milk, and Parmesan. Blend until it turns smooth and creamy, then pour in the oil and season well with salt and pepper before blending again.
- Pour into a bowl, and set aside.
- Add pasta to boiling water with salt and cook for the required amount of time. When pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking liquid and then drain the pasta, but put it in to a large bowl while it’s still dripping slightly with water. Sprinkle a little olive oil over the pasta to prevent it sticking together, and then add the walnut sauce, mixing it into the pasta (splash in a little pasta cooking liquid to make the sauce less thick if needed).
- Roughly chop the remaining walnuts and toss them over the top along with some more Parmesan and the chopped parsley.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 521 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 73 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Cholesterol | 4 mg |
| Sodium | 321 mg |
Reviews
So easy and quick with very few ingredients. Great for a week night supper with a salad on the side.
Kind of tastes like hummus… All in all it wasn’t bad, and a nice diversion from the usual tomato/mushroom/pesto sauce. But in the end it was a bit like pasta with hummus which is not an amazing combo.
This recipe is heaven sent for vegetarians like me……
I tried this sauce in Italy a few years ago and loved it. I made some squash gnocchi but was torn between noce sauce and alfredo. I ended up mixing this recipe with an alfredo recipe(see link below). On this one I left out the bread, and on the alfredo I substituted one cup of the heavy cream for milk and only added 1/4 C. butter so it wouldn’t be too rich with the nuts. It actually turned out really well and was exactly what I was craving. I would suggest doing this if you are worried about it coming out too nutty.
Always wanted to make this intriguing dish when I saw it on Nigella Bites. I made it for dinner tonight and found it to be a very unique dish, and a nice change from other pasta sauces. I made some alterations by using 2 cloves of garlic, and adding some fresh mint and parsley as well as a little lemon zest to the mix when blending. I would equate the walnut flavour almost to tahini, that was how “earthy” it became.
If bread or milk bothers you because of food intolerences, I would suggest using a whole fresh zucchini/courgette in the mix instead of the milk-soaked bread, and use gluten-free pasta. The zucchini will give the same creaminess. Great Vegetarian dish. JACY:)
Adjust the garlic to taste (a full clove was right for this garlic-loving family). But in any case, a simple and tasty recipe. Terrific!
I felt the flavors were a bit dull and muddy so I added:
– juice of half a lemon
– fresh basil leaves
– cayenne powder to taste
I also lightly cookd the garlic in the olive oil, then dumped the oil and garlic in with the walnuts, bread, etc. Gives it a flavor kick!
The first attempt with this recipe proved disappointing; the combination of the walnuts and the wheat pasta we used resulted in a heavy dish with a woody flavor.
My recommendation is to use “regular” pasta and try adding Italian-herb seasoned croutons instead of bread to create a more flavorful sauce.
My recommendation is to use “regular” pasta and try adding Italian-herb seasoned croutons instead of bread to create a more flavorful sauce.
Wonderful dish — (not sure why other reviwers are expecting an Alfredo when it is clearly not)– simple and satisfying. Alfredo lovers can easily rework this dish…but that means more “work”. This recipe is good for a side or appetizer as well. Boiling pasta and pouring over a very creative and healthy blender sauce coudn’t be easier.
love this recipe. unusual. easy