Wide fettuccine with Ligurian walnut sauce
Wide fettuccine with Ligurian walnut sauce
Yield: 4
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Creamy, nutty, and beautifully simple, this Ligurian-inspired walnut sauce turns wide fettuccine into a comforting yet refined dish. The sauce blends toasted walnuts, milk-soaked bread, garlic, and Parmigiano into a smooth, velvety cream, finished with extra virgin olive oil for richness. Tossed through perfectly cooked pasta and topped with fragrant marjoram, it is an understated Italian classic that feels both rustic and luxurious.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
- Cut the bread into small chunks, soak the bread in a bowl and cover it with milk. Let it soak for a few minutes until fully saturated and pulp like. Once soaked, squeeze out any excess milk and add to your food processor.
- Into the food processor add walnuts, garlic, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and a pinch of salt. Blend until you achieve a rough paste.
- With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil to the walnut mixture until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a bit more milk to loosen it.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Add to a serving bowl and set aside.
- Cook the fettuccine according to the package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
- Add the reserved pasta cooking water to the sauce to achieve a silky texture (add as much as needed) Add the cooked fettuccine to your bowl and toss to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce.
- Plate the pasta and garnish with fresh marjoram leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.
