Walnut Sauce Pasta Sauce from Liguria

                                          

Walnut Sauce Pasta Recipe from Liguria

This walnut sauce pasta is a traditional dish from Liguria in Northwest Italy. Although not as famous as pesto Genovese (basil pesto), walnut sauce is another delicious type of Ligurian pesto. It’s also just as easy to make!  Prep time 20 minutes,  Cook time 15minutes.  Servings 4

Ingredients:
200 g. shelled walnuts. (7 oz.)200 ml milk (1 cup)
2 medium slices almost stale country bread1 garlic clove peeled
25 g pine nuts (1oz)
40-50 g Parmigiano Reggiano (1.5 oz)
grated (Vegetarians should use vegetarian cheese as Parmigiano contains animal rennet.
4-5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
fresh marjoram leaves
salt for pasta and to taste
freshly ground black pepper. to taste
360 g trofie pasta (12oz) or other pasta of your choice.

Directions:

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).  The skins are bitter.

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.

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.  Trofie is a narrow twisted pasta

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.   "The Pasta Project"

Cruciferous Salad With Peas And Parmesan

Cruciferous Salad With Peas And Parmesan 

Crunchy cabbage and tender kale come together in this salad that makes a great starter or side dish for a quick weeknight meal. It includes fresh peas, and in the winter, thawed frozen peas make a nice substitute. But the salad is equally delicious if you choose to leave them out altogether. Be generous with the parmesan as it adds a special touch to the vibrant flavor of the greens.

Ingredients:
½ bunch lacinato kale, chopped
1 T plus 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
¾ cup fresh peas, blanched
1 T chopped fresh dill
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. fine sea salt, or to taste
¼ cup shaved Parmesan Reggiano
2 T dry roasted sunflower seeds
Directions:
Place the kale in a bowl and add 1 tsp. of the olive oil. Massage the oil into the kale for about 30 seconds with clean or gloved hands.

Add the cabbage and the remaining 1 T of olive oil and toss well. Add the peas, dill, lemon juices and salt. Toss again. Then top with the cheese and sunflower seeds. Serve right away.

Serves 2

Stuffed shells with Ricotta and Spinach.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

 A bit of preparation makes assembling these stuffed pasta shells with ricotta and spinach much easier. 

Let’s get started!  The Tomato Sauce: For this pasta dish, you’ll need about 3 to 3½ cups of tomato or marinara sauce. I usually use half of my quick tomato sauce recipe. If you prefer, feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand.  

 Mise En Place                                                                                   Doing a little bit of prep work facilitates the assembling of these Italian shells. Let’s begin!                                                                         

The Tomato Sauce: For this recipe, you need a tomato or Marinara Sauce. You will need approximately 3-3½ cups. I used half of the amount of my Quick Tomato Sauce recipe. If it is more convenient for you, use your favorite commercial brand. 

Cook the Pasta: Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add about 24 -26 shells, a few at a time to prevent them from sticking together.

Cook according to the package instructions minus a few minutes since it continues to bake in the oven.

Prepare a clean tea towel on the countertop.

Cook the Pasta: 

Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add about 24 -26 shells, a few at a time to prevent them from sticking together.

Cook according to the package instructions minus a few minutes since it continues to bake in the oven.

Prepare a clean tea towel on the countertop.

When ready, remove the giant shells from the pot of boiling water.

Drain and place upside down on a clean tea towel to remove the excess water. Set   aside

The Meat Mixture: 

While waiting for the pasta to cook, sauté the chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until beginning to soften (3-4 minutes).

Add 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, a few pinches of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste, and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes
stirring frequently.

Add the lean minced meat. Saute and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until cooked through about 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Turn the heat to medium-high. De-glaze pan with 2 tablespoons of white wine.

Drain the fat and set aside the meat to cool down.                

                               The Cheese Mixture

In a large bowl combine 2 cups fresh ricotta, 2 eggs, ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese, 1½ cups freshly grated mozzarella and 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.  1 12oz bag spinach excess moisture removed.

The cheese filling is done.  It’s now time to combine all the ingredients 
together.

How To Assemble

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the oven grate in the center.

Using two spoons or a pastry bag with the bottom cut off, fill each of the 24-26 cavities with about 2-3 tablespoons of the meat and cheese filling. As you can see, they are completely filled up.

Place about ½-1 cup of tomato sauce at the base of a 13 x 9″ baking dish. Tilt the dish so that the sauce coats the bottom evenly.

Place the cheese and meat-filled pasta shells facing up in the prepared dish.

Top with the remaining tomato sauce, reserving at least 1 cup. 

Place a piece of parchment paper over the top. Then, cover tightly with a piece of aluminum foil.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked through and bubbling.

Uncover both the aluminum wrap and the parchment paper and bake for another 3-5 minutes.

Remove the baked dish from the oven.

Garnish with reserved tomato sauce (heated), chopped fresh Italian parsley and extra grated cheese.

Serve immediately and enjoy!  Serves 6 to 8.