5 from 100 votes
Walnut Sauce Pasta Recipe from Liguria
This Ligurian pasta features a creamy walnut sauce enriched with pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. The sauce is made by soaking country bread in milk then blending it with skinned walnuts, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese. Olive oil is added to create a smooth, thick sauce served over trofie or similar pasta. Fresh marjoram may be used to finish the dish.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Servings:
4
Calories:
899 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Mediterranean, Italian
Ingredients
- 200 g walnuts shelled, 7oz
- 200 ml milk 1 cup
- 2 medium slices country bread almost stale
- 1 garlic peeled, clove
- 25 g pine nuts 1oz
- 40-50 g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated (Vegetarians should use vegetarian cheese as Parmigiano contains animal rennet, 1.5oz
- 4-5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- marjoram fresh leaves
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste, freshly ground
- 360 g Trofie pasta or other pasta of your choice, 12oz
Instructions
Make the walnut sauce
- Put the shelled walnuts in a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse the walnuts, remove the skins by wiping with a cloth and pat the walnuts dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel (this step is optional).
- Break the bread into pieces, put it in a bowl and cover with the milk. When it is completely wet, drain and squeeze the milk out with your hands. Save the milk.
- Put the drained bread in the blender/food processor along with the walnuts and the garlic. Pulse a few times until the walnuts are quite small. Add the parmigiano cheese, pine nuts and 2 pinches of salt. Pulse for about 20 seconds until the sauce becomes a bit smooth.
- Continue to pulse while adding olive oil a little at a time and the remaining milk from the bread as needed to obtain a thick creamy sauce. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use.
Cup of Yum
Finish and serve
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When it boils add salt and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. My store-bought fresh trofie needed 9 minutes.
- Before draining the pasta, water down the Ligurian walnut sauce with about ½ ladle of pasta cooking water in a pan large enough to hold the pasta too. Stir until the sauce becomes creamy and the right consistency. Also save a cup of the water to add later just in case your walnut sauce pasta seems dry.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with some fresh marjoram leaves, freshly ground black pepper , some pieces of walnuts and a little more grated parmigiano. Mix everything together well and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use short or shaped pasta like trofie or ravioli for best sauce adherence, though spaghetti can also work.
- Add fresh marjoram to the pasta and sauce towards the end for an aromatic herbal note.
- Traditional recipes use milk rather than cream, maintaining a lighter sauce.
- Vegetarians should choose Parmesan-style cheeses without animal rennet.
Nutrition Information
Calories
899kcal
(45%)
Carbohydrates
78g
(26%)
Protein
26g
(52%)
Fat
56g
(86%)
Saturated Fat
8g
(40%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
28g
(165%)
Monounsaturated Fat
17g
(85%)
Cholesterol
13mg
(4%)
Sodium
189mg
(8%)
Potassium
549mg
(12%)
Fiber
6g
(24%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
174IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
253mg
(25%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 899
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 899kcal | 45% |
| Carbohydrates | 78g | 26% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 56g | 86% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 28g | 165% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Cholesterol | 13mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 189mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 549mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 174IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 253mg | 25% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.