Walnut & Parsley Pesto
Word on the street is this was how Al Capone, the infamous mobster, enjoyed his pasta. Essentially it’s a walnut and parsley pesto. Rumor has it, he garnished this “secret” recipe of his with fresh tomatoes. Regardless of how much of the truth is behind the way he made his pasta, I am all for this! Pestos in general are flavorful, easy and fast. Using walnuts and parsley instead of pine nuts and basil is actually a much more affordable way to create pesto since pine nuts and basil are way more expensive! While the pasta is cooking, you prepare the pesto, which makes this incredibly fast. Also, extremely easy because all you need to do is blend the ingredients together, no cooking involved. You can even prepare the pesto ahead of time and store it in a mason jar in the fridge to use at your convenience.
Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
1-2 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bunch of fresh parsley leaves
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup walnut pieces
½ cup reserved pasta water
Salt
Ground pepper
1 Roma tomato, chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions:
Start boiling water to cook the pasta until al dente, make sure to salt the water once you drop the pasta in.
In the meantime, create your “pesto”sauce. If you aren’t using a blender or food processor just be sure to finely chop everything. Otherwise, add to the canister then begin to blend: parsley, walnuts, garlic. Then slowly add a cup of olive oil as it continues to blend until smooth. Add a little more olive oil if it is too thick. You want it more like a creamy sauce, not a paste. Transfer sauce to a small bowl, then stir in the parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Reserve about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain pasta.
Add the walnut sauce to the empty pot, then add the pasta and the pasta water. Begin to toss continuously until it is evenly coated and creamy. Add a little drizzle of more olive oil if you feel it’s dry.
Serve immediately. Garnish with chopped tomatoes, more parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
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