Sunday Supper: Linguine alle Noci (Linguine with Walnut Sauce)
This Mario Batali pasta recipe for Linguini alle Noce (with Walnut Sauce) is so delicious, so simple, and so inexpensive it is the perfect Sunday dinner (or brunch for that matter) for everyone, from college students looking to rustle up a little grub to avoid eating at the dining hall, to harried urbanites like me looking to produce a satisfying meal for their family quickly and easily, Of course most college students are home now for the holidays, so I told my 20 year-old son Will that he should make this for his friends on New Year's Eve. The walnuts and the bread crumbs are an inspired combination. Mario says in the headnote in Holiday Food that when the noodles are cooked and then dressed just right they taste great even at room temperature.
Linguine alle Noci (Linguine with Walnut Sauce)
- makes 4 to 8 servings -
Adapted from Holiday Food by Mario Batali
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted hard bread crumbs
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
1 pound linguine
1/2 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated caciocavallo cheese or pecorino romano
Procedure
1. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt
2. In a 14- to l6-inch fry pan, heat the oil over medium heat till smoking. Add the garlic and cook until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add half of the bread crumbs, the walnuts, and pepper flakes and cook until lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until 1 minute short of al dente. Just before draining the pasta, add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the pan with the walnut mixture.
4. Drain the pasta in a colander and pour the pasta into the pan with the walnut mixture. Place the pan over medium heat and continue cooking the pasta with the walnut mixture until the pasta is lightly dressed with the condiment, about 1 minute. Add the parsley and grated cheese, stir through, pour into a heated bowl, sprinkle with the remaining bread crumbs, and serve immediately.
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7 Comments:
I find that pasta meals are by and large affordable and the wow factor is good bang for your buck. Even when making a ragu cheap cuts of meat including soup bones make great sauce.
When I was a kid we looked forward to sunday pasta dinner.
Today it makes me nostalgic and gives me comfort.
Sauces for pasta are as many as there are kinds of pastas. Have fun with it.
If I was making this I would also use some shallots, shallots and walnuts are magic together. Toasting the walnuts in a dry skillet before you add them gives another dimension of flavor.
For the cheese reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caciocavallo
Great post Robyn!!! I can't believe you have a 20 year old son I thought you were 20.
JerzeeTomato at 10:24AM on 12/30/07
Jerzee Tomato, I have the 20 year-old son. Robyn posted the recipe, and I posted the introduction. Happy New Year to all.
Ed Levine at 10:40AM on 12/30/07
OOP I guess what I was trying to say is Robyn looks so young. But hey you look pretty young yourself Ed. Don't I feel foolish. Happy New Year to everyone!
JerzeeTomato at 11:27AM on 12/30/07
I've been following Ed's writings for so long that I can't believe his son is really 20.
annien at 2:06PM on 12/30/07
Made this last night -- quite good and I'll definitely make again
As Jerzee suggested, I toasted the walnuts first, and added a sliced large shallot with the garlic. Wasn't quite sure what "toasted hard bread crumbs" were, but used plain old Progresso dried. Didn't have linguine so used thin spag instead. (It probably would've been better with linguine -- more surface area for the walnuts to grab onto.) I thought 1 tablespoon red pepper was way over the top -- used about 1/2 teaspoon and it had just the right amount of bite. And it needed a lot more than 1/4 cup pasta water to loosen up the sauce.
Next time, I'll chop the walnuts more after toasting and use linguine as directed
Dee at 8:58AM on 12/31/07
Anyone try this with other nuts? Like hazelnuts or a combination?
karlamei at 7:11PM on 12/31/07
I made this dish last night and it was a hit. Didn't know what "hard bread crumbs" were, was planning on making some, but forgot to purchase a loaf at the bakery, so I toasted one slice of whole wheat bread and put it through the food processor and it seemed perfect.
I might use a bit less red pepper flakes and more walnuts the next time, but otherwise it's something everyone loved. Was quick to make. It was nice to have gotten off so easy making what turned out to be a lovely festive meal. Thanks!
Mares at 3:25PM on 01/01/08