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3.4 from 63 votes

Pasta with Walnut Sauce

Pasta with Walnut Sauce is a surprisingly delicious meatless dish made with toasted walnuts, garlic, and lots of fresh creamy ricotta. And it's ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 43024 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups walnut halves
  • 1 clove garlic
  • handful of fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 cups miniature penne measure before cooking
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta freshly made if possible
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • milk cream, or reserved pasta cooking water for thinning the sauce
  • salt and freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Set oven to 350F
  2. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet roast for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the nuts are fragrant and starting to brown. Set them aside to cool on the pan.
  3. Put the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a small food processor and pulse until both are finely minced. Add in the nuts and pulse until the nuts are well ground. There should be some variation in the size of the pieces, but you want the nuts to be well chopped. There should be a range of small walnut pieces all the way down to walnut dust (see above.) Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the nut mixture for a garnish.
  4. Cook the pasta to just al dente. Drain and return to the pan. (Reserve a little of the cooking water)
  5. Add in the ricotta and the Parmesan and toss well.
  6. Add in the walnut mixture and thin the sauce with a little milk, cream, or reserved pasta water, if necessary. Bring everything up to temperature gently, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with the reserved nuts.

Nutrition Information

Calories 430.24kcal (22%) Carbohydrates 43.74g (15%) Protein 20.68g (41%) Fat 19.38g (30%) Saturated Fat 8.26g (41%) Sodium 335mg (14%) Fiber 2.63g (11%) Sugar 2g (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 43024

% Daily Value*

Calories 430.24kcal 22%
Carbohydrates 43.74g 15%
Protein 20.68g 41%
Fat 19.38g 30%
Saturated Fat 8.26g 41%
Sodium 335mg 14%
Fiber 2.63g 11%
Sugar 2g 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.