This Insanely Delicious Walnut Pesto Pasta is the Perfect Weekday Treat! [Recipe]
Whipping up a delicious, wholesome meal on weekday nights can be tough! Especially if you’re cooking for your family and need to feed more than one or two mouths. This deliciously different creamy walnut pesto pasta dish is super easy to make and won’t break the bank – making it the perfect weekday treat. The earthy walnut, toasted breadcrumb and garlic sauce can be spooned over your favourite pasta or even a healthy, carb-free courgette spaghetti but if pasta isn’t your thing, then the sauce can even be used over rice, couscous and more.
Pasta with Creamy Walnut Pesto
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 Tbsp olive oil
50g butter
175g walnuts, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, sliced
Handful fresh basil, leaves roughly torn plus extra to serve (optional)
100g Parmesan, freshly grated plus extra to serve (optional)
50ml double thick cream
Spaghetti or courgette “spaghetti” (recently available from vegetable counters at many supermarkets)
Salt to taste
Method
· Prepare the spaghetti/courgette spaghetti according to the instructions on the packaging.
· To prepare the pesto, put the walnuts and garlic in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the basil, Parmesan, butter and oil and pulse a few more times.
· Pour the cream into a pan and warm through. Add two-thirds of the pesto and gently heat.
· Drain the pasta when ready. Reserve 2 Tbsp of the cooking water, then mix both with the sauce.
· Serve immediately, sprinkled with the extra Parmesan and basil, if using. The leftover pesto will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to a month.
· Serve with a green salad.
Wine pairing:
This delisciously creamy pesto pasta pairs beautifully with the vibrant Place in the Sun Unwooded Chardonnay. With notes of citrus on the nose and mouth-filling tastes of apricot and pear, this wine is the perfect way to compiment this dish. Plus, if you add a little lemon zest to the sauce it will highlight the lemony notes in the wine. Place in the Sun Unwooded Chardannay is available from most liquor stockists and retails for around R46.