Pasta with Zucchini and Walnut Sauce: A Symphony of Simplicity, Health, and Flavor
Immerse yourself in a culinary journey that celebrates the marriage of simple ingredients, health consciousness, and delectable taste. Our pasta with zucchini and walnut sauce is a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds and nourish your body. This vegetarian dish is packed with fresh zucchini, crunchy walnuts, and a creamy sauce that is bursting with flavor. With its vibrant green hue and delightful textures, this pasta is a feast for the eyes and the palate.
The zucchini, a versatile summer vegetable, takes center stage in this dish. Its mild flavor and tender texture make it an ideal base for the sauce. Walnuts, known for their rich, nutty flavor and nutritional value, add a delightful crunch and a touch of earthiness. The sauce, made with a blend of olive oil, garlic, and herbs, brings all the elements together in a creamy and flavorful embrace.
This pasta dish is not only a culinary delight but also a testament to healthy eating. Zucchini is low in calories and carbohydrates, making it a great choice for those watching their weight or managing blood sugar levels. Walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber, promoting heart health and overall well-being. The olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, contributes monounsaturated fats that benefit cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
As you indulge in this pasta with zucchini and walnut sauce, you'll appreciate the simplicity of its preparation. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal cooking time, you can create a dish that is both satisfying and sophisticated. Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting your culinary adventures, this recipe is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.
So, gather your ingredients, prepare your palate, and embark on a culinary adventure that will leave you feeling nourished, satisfied, and inspired.
WALNUT SAUCE WITH PASTA
Steps:
- Cook your pasta in salty boiling water until al dente.
- Meanwhile, tear up the bread, place it into some milk, and leave to soak for a couple of minutes.
- Put the walnuts, garlic, and grated parmesan into a small food processor. Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread and add it to the other ingredients.
- Add the olive oil, 4 or 5 Tbsp of milk or pasta cooking water*, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Blend them all together until well combined.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Drain your pasta and reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water.
- Return the pasta to the pot, stir in the walnut sauce and add as much pasta cooking water as needed to thin out and give a nice and creamy texture to the dish.
- Serve immediately with an extra drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground pepper and extra grated parmesan cheese you like.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 604 kcal, Carbohydrate 64 g, Protein 19 g, Fat 31 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Cholesterol 9 mg, Sodium 217 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 4 g, ServingSize 1 serving
ZUCCHINI WITH WALNUT PESTO
Provided by Molly Yeh
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat a layer of olive oil in a skillet over medium high. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the zucchini in an even layer, avoiding overlapping in the skillet (you may need to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding!). Season with salt and pepper. When the zucchini begins to brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes, flip over and allow to brown on the other side, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the skillet to the serving plate.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. Add the walnuts, basil, mint, Parmesan, vinegar and a pinch of crushed red pepper to the carafe of a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are combined but still chunky. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Drizzle the pesto on top of the zucchini. Top with additional Parmesan, fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes and serve!
PASTA WITH WALNUT SAUCE
Provided by Nigella Lawson : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 20m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Put a large saucepan of water on to boil, and toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan until they begin to make a nutty aroma. Put the bread in a bowl and cover with the milk. Put most of the toasted walnuts (reserving about 1 ounce for garnish) into a blender along with the garlic, bread soaked in milk, and Parmesan. Blend until it turns smooth and creamy, then pour in the oil and season well with salt and pepper before blending again.
- Pour into a bowl, and set aside.
- Add pasta to boiling water with salt and cook for the required amount of time. When pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking liquid and then drain the pasta, but put it in to a large bowl while it's still dripping slightly with water. Sprinkle a little olive oil over the pasta to prevent it sticking together, and then add the walnut sauce, mixing it into the pasta (splash in a little pasta cooking liquid to make the sauce less thick if needed).
- Roughly chop the remaining walnuts and toss them over the top along with some more Parmesan and the chopped parsley.
WALNUT SAUCE PASTA RECIPE FROM LIGURIA
This walnut sauce pasta is a traditional dish from Liguria in Northwest Italy. Although not as famous as pesto Genovese (basil pesto), walnut sauce is another delicious type of Ligurian pesto. It's also just as easy to make!
Provided by Jacqueline De Bono
Categories Main Course
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Put the shelled walnuts in a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse the walnuts, remove the skins by wiping with a cloth and pat the walnuts dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel (this step is optional).
- Break the bread into pieces, put it in a bowl and cover with the milk. When it is completely wet, drain and squeeze the milk out with your hands. Save the milk.
- Put the drained bread in the blender/food processor along with the walnuts and the garlic. Pulse a few times until the walnuts are quite small. Add the parmigiano cheese, pine nuts and 2 pinches of salt. Pulse for about 20 seconds until the sauce becomes a bit smooth.
- Continue to pulse while adding olive oil a little at a time and the remaining milk from the bread as needed to obtain a thick creamy sauce. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When it boils add salt and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. My store-bought fresh trofie needed 9 minutes.
- Before draining the pasta, water down the Ligurian walnut sauce with about ½ ladle of pasta cooking water in a pan large enough to hold the pasta too. Stir until the sauce becomes creamy and the right consistency. Also save a cup of the water to add later just in case your walnut sauce pasta seems dry.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with some fresh marjoram leaves, freshly ground black pepper , some pieces of walnuts and a little more grated parmigiano. Mix everything together well and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 911 kcal, ServingSize 1 serving
ZUCCHINI WITH WALNUTS
Provided by Marian Burros
Categories easy, quick, side dish
Time 10m
Yield 2 servings
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Wash zucchini, remove ends and cut into one-inch thick slices. Sauté slices in three tablespoons hot butter until zucchini begins to soften.
- Meanwhile, brown walnuts in remaining butter.
- Combine walnuts with zucchini; season with salt and pepper and cook until zucchini is tender.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 436, UnsaturatedFat 23 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Fat 43 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 17 grams, Sodium 663 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams, TransFat 1 gram
FETTUCCINE WITH WALNUTS, ZUCCHINI RIBBONS, AND PECORINO ROMANO
Categories Cheese Herb Nut Pasta Vegetable Dinner Parmesan Walnut Zucchini Summer Noodle Bon Appétit Pescatarian Peanut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Place 1 zucchini on work surface. Using vegetable peeler and firmly holding zucchini by stem end, shave zucchini lengthwise into long ribbons. Discard scraps. Repeat with remaining zucchini. Place ribbons (about 10 cups total) in large colander set over large bowl; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse zucchini under cold running water; drain well. Spread on 2 large kitchen towels; roll up in towels to absorb excess water. Set aside.
- Combine garlic, anchovy fillets, and crushed red pepper in very large serving bowl. Using pestle or wooden spoon, crush mixture until paste forms.
- Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Transfer pasta to bowl with garlic mixture. Add 1/3 cup oil and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid; toss. Add zucchini, walnuts, 1/2 cup cheese, basil, and mint; toss. Season with salt and pepper, adding more pasta cooking liquid if mixture is dry. Drizzle with additional oil. Sprinkle with zucchini flowers, if desired. Serve with remaining cheese.
OLIVE-WALNUT PASTA
Double down on the olive oil flavor in this dish by warming a generous amount with torn green olives to dress your pasta. While you can use just one kind of olive, like mild Castelvetrano, a variety will create depth of flavor. Adding chopped walnuts provides texture and a nice dose of protein to this vegan dish, while lemon zest and juice perk everything up. It would also be good with soft herbs like oregano, dill or basil, a salty cheese like feta or Parmesan, or shrimp that's been cooked with the pasta in the last few minutes of boiling.
Provided by Ali Slagle
Categories dinner, weekday, pastas, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water's boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- While the pasta's cooking, in a large Dutch oven, stir together the olive oil, walnuts and olives. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and the walnuts are toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, finely grate in the garlic clove and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the pasta and 1/4 cup pasta water to the walnut mixture. Cook over medium-low, stirring and adding pasta water as needed, until the pasta is well coated. Remove from heat and stir in half the lemon zest and all the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more lemon zest.
Tips:
- Be flexible with zucchini. Feel free to use yellow summer squash if you don't have zucchini on hand.
- Use a large skillet. You'll need a large skillet to cook the zucchini and walnuts properly. A 12-inch skillet is ideal.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet. If you overcrowd the skillet, the zucchini and walnuts will steam instead of brown.
- Cook the zucchini in batches. If you have a lot of zucchini, cook it in batches. This will ensure that each batch gets evenly cooked.
- Use a high-quality olive oil. The quality of your olive oil will make a big difference in the flavor of the sauce.
- Season the sauce to taste. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Serve the pasta immediately. This dish is best served immediately after it is made.
Conclusion:
This pasta with walnut and zucchini sauce is a delicious and easy-to-make dish. It's perfect for a weeknight meal or a casual lunch. The combination of zucchini, walnuts, and pesto is flavorful and satisfying. Serve it with a side salad or a glass of white wine for a complete meal.
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