Salsa di Noci (Walnut Sauce Pasta)
Simple yet luxurious, this creamy Ligurian sauce makes good use of walnuts, which are grown throughout the Italian countryside. A variant of pesto, it requires few ingredients — walnuts, milk, bread, garlic, cheese and oil — and can be prepared while the pasta cooks. Many methods call for blanching walnuts, some roast the nuts and others don’t call for either (there are also versions that add pine nuts). Here, a quick blanch softens the nuts and gets rid of any bitterness, resulting in a more buttery and creamier sauce. Traditionally paired with “pansotti” (a greens and herb-filled ravioli ), the nutty sauce works well with trofie and all sorts of pasta shapes. Fresh woodsy marjoram is a classic finishing herb for this sauce, but its slightly piney bitterness can be strong; you could try chopped parsley for a lighter alternative.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 1pound short pasta, such as trofie, gemelli or casarecce
- 1ounce country-style white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (1/2 cup)
- ½cup whole milk
- 1 ½cups/6 ounces walnut halves and pieces
- 1small garlic clove
- ¼cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnishing
- 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1teaspoon small fresh marjoram leaves or chopped parsley, for garnishing
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water and drain.Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine bread and milk and let stand, stirring occasionally, until bread is softened, about 5 minutes. In a small saucepan of boiling water, blanch walnuts for 1 minute, then drain. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and dry, about 3 minutes.Step 3
Drain bread and allow excess milk to drip off, but do not squeeze; transfer to a food processor. Add garlic and pulse, scraping down the sides, until well combined and smooth. Add cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cooled walnuts. While pulsing, drizzle in oil until walnuts are just finely chopped but still chunky (do not purée). The coarse mixture will be thick, but it becomes saucy when tossed with the pasta and pasta water. Transfer to a large bowl.Step 4
Add pasta and 3/4 cup of the pasta water to the walnut sauce and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper; add more reserved pasta water by the tablespoon if a thinner sauce is desired.Step 5
Divide pasta among bowls and top each with some marjoram. Finish with more cheese and black pepper.