This is such a simple and classic Italian pasta dish; great either on its own as a quick dinner idea, or served as the pasta course of a traditional Italian meal. I first had this dish while in Italy and fell in love immediately. I am a big walnut fan and never thought before to use ground nuts, herbs, garlic and breadcrumbs as the base of a pasta sauce (Along with a bit of pasta water to follow true Italian traditions…) The chopped nuts mixed with oil, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, and minced garlic coat the strands of spaghetti and give it both a hearty flavor and a bit of a crunch which is nice. I finished off the pasta with a few crumbles of Gorgonzola cheese for a touch of creamy goodness. This is a great dish that can also be made with pecans, pistachios or even hazelnuts—or a mixture of whatever you prefer.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Spaghetti with Walnut Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. spaghetti
- 1 cup walnut halves
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- A drizzle of walnut or hazelnut or almond oil (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, if desired
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the spaghetti and cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, but keep 1 cup of pasta water.
- In the meantime, place the walnuts, garlic and parsley in a food processor. Pulse until the walnuts are finely chopped but not so much that you get to a paste consistency. Pour that mixture into a large mixing bowl and fold in the breadcrumbs, olive oil and nut oil if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the warm pasta into the sauce, along with gradually adding pasta water. (You might not use the entire cup of pasta water, add slowly until the consistency that you prefer for the sauce is reached.) Serve with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, if desired.
Tagged: breadcrumbs, chopped walnuts, fresh parsley, garlic, Gorgonzola cheese, Italian, Italy, pasta, spaghetti, spaghetti with walnut sauce, vegetarian pasta, walnut sauce, walnuts
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