Sage & Walnut Pesto Pasta
Sage and parsley bring herbal, earthy, and outdoorsy notes to the forefront, walnuts bring meaty richness, and Parmesan brings home the umami. This simple recipe is all about technique. The pesto then coats the pasta dreamily. Best of all, it's super simple and quick to plate.
Yield
4 servingsPrep
10 minCook
10 minReady
20 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ | cup |
Parmesan cheese
|
*
|
| ¼ | cup |
sage
fresh |
*
|
| ¼ | cup |
walnuts
toasted |
*
|
| ½ | teaspoon |
sea salt
|
*
|
| ¼ | teaspoon |
black pepper
fresh ground |
*
|
| ¼ | cup |
olive oil, extra-virgin
more as needed to deliver the desired consistency |
*
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
cream
or ¼ cup ricotta cheese |
*
|
| 1 | cup |
italian parsley
one small bunch, fresh chopped |
*
|
| Garnish | |||
| ¼ | cup |
walnuts
toasted, chopped |
*
|
| fresh |
sage leaves
|
*
|
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 |
Parmesan cheese
|
*
|
|
| 0.3 |
sage
fresh |
*
|
|
| 0.3 |
walnuts
toasted |
*
|
|
| 0.5 |
sea salt
|
*
|
|
| 0.3 |
black pepper
fresh ground |
*
|
|
| 0.3 |
olive oil, extra-virgin
more as needed to deliver the desired consistency |
*
|
|
| 0 | 2 |
cream
or ¼ cup ricotta cheese |
*
|
| 1 |
italian parsley
one small bunch, fresh chopped |
*
|
|
| Garnish | |||
| 0.3 |
walnuts
toasted, chopped |
*
|
|
| 0 |
sage leaves
|
*
|
|
Directions
Add the sage to a food processor and pulse a few times to chop the fresh sage leaves.
Add the walnuts, salt, and black pepper and process until finely chopped, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add the Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and cream (or ricotta) and process until smooth.
Add the parsley, and process until creamy smooth.
Consider adding a smidge of garlic or red pepper flakes, but that is up to you to decide based on your guests' preferences.
Cook the penne or other robust-shaped pasta in a large post of salted water until al dente, ensuring that some cooking water is reserved.
Toss the drained pasta with the pesto in a bowl, adding cooking water as needed to help the pesto cling to the pasta.
Taste and season as needed with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Garnish with sage leaves and a generous heaping of roasted chopped walnuts. Or not, as desired.
