Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 450 g pasta
Walnut Sauce
- 30 g country-style white bread, cubed
- 120 ml whole milk
- 170 g walnut halves
- 1 garlic
- 60 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 g fresh marjoram leaves
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 982 kcal
- Protein
- 29 g
- Carbohydrates
- 94 g
- Fat
- 58 g
- Fiber
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 434 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 24 g
- Cholesterol
- 13 mg
- Potassium
- 672 mg
- Calcium
- 341 mg
- Iron
- 5.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 197 mg
- Phosphorus
- 610 mg
- Zinc
- 4.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 45 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.62 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.40 mg
- Niacin
- 9.8 mg
- Folate
- 120 mcg
- Water
- 47 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil at 100°C/212°F.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water until it reaches an al dente texture.
Reserve 350ml (1.5 cups) of the starchy pasta cooking water.
Drain the pasta through a colander.
Submerge the bread cubes in the milk in a small bowl for 5 minutes until softened.
Blanch the walnuts in a small saucepan of boiling water (100°C/212°F) for 60 seconds.
Transfer the walnuts to paper towels and allow them to dry for 3 minutes.
Place the soaked bread and garlic in a food processor and pulse until a smooth paste forms.
Add the grated parmesan, 2g salt, and the blanched walnuts to the processor.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing until the walnuts are finely chopped but still retain a chunky texture.
Combine the cooked pasta, walnut sauce, and 180ml (0.75 cups) of the reserved pasta water in a large bowl.
Toss the mixture until the sauce coats the pasta, adding more water if a thinner consistency is needed, and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the pasta into bowls and garnish with fresh marjoram leaves.
Chef's Notes
- Do not over-process the sauce; it should have a slightly granular texture from the walnuts rather than being a perfectly smooth puree.
Storage
Refrigerator: 72 hours — Store sauce and pasta separately if possible to prevent the pasta from absorbing all moisture.
Reheating: Warm gently over low heat, adding a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is bitter
Cause: Walnut skins were not sufficiently loosened or neutralized during blanching.
Fix: Add a small pinch of sugar or extra parmesan to balance the bitterness.
Prevention: Ensure the water is at a full boil before blanching walnuts for the full 60 seconds.
Sauce is too thick or dry
Cause: The pasta absorbed the moisture or insufficient pasta water was added.
Fix: Stir in more reserved pasta water 15ml at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Prevention: Always reserve more pasta water than the recipe calls for.
Cultural Context
Salsa di Noci, or Walnut Sauce, is a classic from the Liguria region of Italy, particularly associated with Genoa. It's traditionally served with trofie or pansotti, a type of ravioli often filled with wild herbs. This sauce highlights the region's abundance of walnuts and its preference for rich, flavorful, yet relatively simple preparations.
