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
Directions
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.
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By ushmoh
on September 23, 2011
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This recipe is heaven sent for vegetarians like me......
By conchispita
College Park, MD
on October 17, 2010
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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.
By jacykattan_11097052
Guildford, NS
on September 14, 2010
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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:
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