Creamy White Walnut Pesto Spaghetti is a creamy and flavorful main dish, perfect for a Sunday family lunch or a casual dinner with guests. This recipe, ready in just a few minutes, is prepared here with a rich and delicious sauce made with walnut pesto, cream, and crispy guanciale.
To bring it to the table, start with the pesto: simply crush the walnut kernels and pine nuts in a blender, then add the extra virgin olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese and blend the ingredients for a few moments, until you obtain a smooth sauce with a slightly grainy consistency. Now all you have to do is boil the linguine al dente, transfer it directly to the pan with the crispy guanciale, a few spoonfuls of walnut cream and the single cream, and then briefly stir everything together with a ladle of the pasta cooking water. For a mouth-watering dish, garnish the surface with the reserved walnut kernels for a crunchy touch.
Ingredients
How to Make Creamy White Walnut Pesto Spaghetti
First, prepare the pesto. Place the walnut kernels and pine nuts in a blender jug: keep some walnuts aside for the final garnish.
First, prepare the pesto. Place the walnut kernels and pine nuts in a blender jug: keep some walnuts aside for the final garnish.
Blend the dried fruit until it becomes a fine grain.
Blend the dried fruit until it becomes a fine grain.
Then add the grated parmesan and pour in the extra virgin olive oil.
Then add the grated parmesan and pour in the extra virgin olive oil.
Continue blending for a few more moments.
Continue blending for a few more moments.
At the end, you should obtain a creamy pesto with a slightly grainy consistency: if necessary, add another drop of oil.
At the end, you should obtain a creamy pesto with a slightly grainy consistency: if necessary, add another drop of oil.
Plunge the linguine into plenty of lightly salted boiling water and cook for the time indicated on the package; then cut the guanciale into strips.
Plunge the linguine into plenty of lightly salted boiling water and cook for the time indicated on the package; then cut the guanciale into strips.
Brown the guanciale in a non-stick pan without adding fat and add the liquid cream.
Brown the guanciale in a non-stick pan without adding fat and add the liquid cream.
Add a few spoonfuls of walnut pesto.
Add a few spoonfuls of walnut pesto.
Drain the pasta al dente and transfer it directly into the pan with the sauce together with a drop of cooking water, then mix carefully.
Drain the pasta al dente and transfer it directly into the pan with the sauce together with a drop of cooking water, then mix carefully.
Divide the pasta into individual plates and drizzle with the walnut sauce.
Divide the pasta into individual plates and drizzle with the walnut sauce.
Bring the pasta to the table with walnut pesto, complete with the dried fruit kept aside, bring to the table and serve.
Bring the pasta to the table with walnut pesto, complete with the dried fruit kept aside, bring to the table and serve.
Variations
For a more flavorful result, you can replace the parmesan with aged pecorino, while for a lighter result, you can use speck and a drop of whole milk instead of the guanciale and liquid cream.
If you like, you can make the walnut sauce according to Ligurian tradition and add stale breadcrumbs, previously soaked and well squeezed, and 1/2 clove of garlic to the pesto. Alternatively, instead of linguine, you can opt for another type of pasta, long or short, that you have in your pantry: spaghetti, trofie, tonnarelli, rigatoni…
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