YumSugar

Today's Special: Pasta With Walnut Sauce

partysugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:03:58 -0800

Lately I've been really into walnuts. Plain walnuts for snacking, candied walnuts in salads, and toasted walnuts in cookies. Just when I think I've used walnuts in every possible dish that I can, BAM a new recipe is discovered that incorporates walnuts in an exciting and different way. Walnuts in pasta? Now we're talking. Essentially this dish is similar to making a pesto but walnuts take the place of fresh basil. For a rich vegetarian supper, where walnuts are the star ingredients read more

Pasta with Walnut Sauce
From Nigella Lawson

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

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.

8 to 10 servings

Print recipe with images | without images

Fast & Easy Dinner: Penne With Pesto and Ricotta

partysugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:50:38 -0700

A classic pesto sauce consists of fresh basil and pine nuts, but when basil is not in season, the thick fragrant sauce can easily be made with other herbs and greens. In this recipe the pesto is a blended mixture of spinach, arugula, parsley, and walnuts.

It's tossed with whole wheat pasta to create a dish that is healthful and filling. A heaping dollop of ricotta cheese laced with honey adds a touch of creamy sweetness to the pasta. For the recipe to this creative vegetarian dinner, read more.

Penne With Pesto and Ricotta
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne rigate pasta
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1 cup packed spinach or baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup packed arugula leaves
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
Pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (a couple of generous handfuls)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
In a small skillet, toast the nuts over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, about 4 minutes; let cool.
Using a food processor, puree the nuts, spinach, arugula, parsley and garlic; season with salt and pepper. With the machine on, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream and mix until a thick paste forms.
Transfer the pesto to a large pasta bowl; stir in the parmigiano-reggiano and reserved pasta cooking water.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and honey, season with pepper and set aside.
Add the pasta to the pesto, toss and let stand for 1 minute. Serve with dollops of the honey ricotta.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Yummy Links: From Foodie Tees to Emeril Live

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:03:18 -0800

Love food and whimsical tees? Check out this great foodie tee gift guide. - Baking Bites
The real Gordon Ramsay might not have the time blog, but the Fake Gordon Ramsay sure does. - Serious Eats
Don't miss these top ten food and drink hacks. - LifeHacker
Looking for a vintage pasta sauce? Try this walnut sauce from Gourmet magazine circa 1978. - Slashfood
This holiday season, give the gift of food. - iVillage
I'm not sure if you really want to know, but here are the top 20 fast food items highest in calories. - FitSugar
If your friend leaves a poor tip, how do you tactfully add to it? - Chow

Learn how to create these easy ornament place cards. - CasaSugar
If current cake molds impress you, check out these vintage ones. - The Kitchen: Apartment Therapy
Emeril Live! has been cancelled, but Emeril's not done with Food Network just yet. - Amazon's Al Dente