In this Sun-dried Tomato Toasted Walnut Pesto Pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, plus the oil they are packed in are blended with toasted walnuts, pecorino Romano cheese, fresh basil and garlic before tossed with wine and cooked pasta. A delicious and simple 30-minute meal! Serves 2 to 4 depending.
Dinner for 1 (or 2 or 4)!
Pat was Up North bow hunting and my Mother-in-law took the girls for a sleepover as she always does when it’s one of her grand-daughters’ birthdays {bless her heart}. And I found myself in a predicament that I haven’t had happen to me in a loooong while.
I had to make dinner for myself.
All the possibilities ran through my head, like should I grab a greasy burger and fries or maybe pick up some spicy California rolls? Since I’m not really good at doing the whole go out to dinner by myself thing, I found myself at the grocery store buying ingredients (and by ingredients I also mean wine) to make this exact pasta dish.
To Make This Sun-dried Tomato Toasted Walnut Pesto Pasta You Will Need:
- walnuts (toasted) – Gives the pesto a toasty and nutty flavor.
- basil (fresh) – Lends fresh herbaceous flavor.
- sun-dried tomatoes – And some of the olive oil they are packed in.
- garlic – For distinct punchy flavor.
- parmesan cheese – Lends a fruity, nutty and slightly salty flavor. Can sub with pecorino.
- lemon juice – Adds citrus notes and brightens the flavors of the pesto.
- pasta – Use your favorite short pasta.
- dry white wine – Like chardonnay or sauvignon blanc.
- reserved pasta. cooking liquid – Used for thinning out the sauce.
PRO TIP: I immediately start by bringing a large pot of water to boil. I throw the pasta into the pot right after the pesto is made, so having the water ready and boiling is a good idea to speed things along.
Toasting the walnuts brings out the nuts natural oils and enhances their flavor.
Start by adding 1/4 cup (heaping) of walnuts into a dry pan and heat over medium. Stir and toss occasionally until fragrant. About 4 to 6 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Once toasted, transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.
First add 1/4 cup slightly packed basil into your blender or mini food processor.
Then add the chopped toasted walnuts.
To the blender add 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the oil from the jar.
Lastly, measure and add 1/4 quarter cup of freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons (half a large lemon) lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water.
Blend until it this thick and pesto-like.
FYI This smells Heavenly.
This is when I drop the pasta into the awaiting pot.
Remember that pan that I toasted the walnuts in? Well it has a little remaining walnut oil in it, so put the pan back on the burner and turn the heat up to medium/medium-low.
Now add in the pesto and stir and stir and stir until little bits of the pest start to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. This shouldn’t take long at all.
Next, add 2 tablespoons of wine and scrap up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan.
What to Swap For Wine In A Recipe?
Try a little vegetable or chicken broth.
Right after you’ve cooked the pasta following the package directions; remove 1 cup of pasta water (you won’t need all of it but it’s good to have just in case), drain the pasta and add it straight from the pan.
Add a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the pasta water, this will thin out the sauce a bit, so add as desired. Then just toss to combine!
Taste, season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Serve with fresh basil and more grated pecorino romano over top. And wine.
This sun-dried tomato toasted walnut pasta dish for two is light, deliciously tangy and nutty. I honestly shoveled this in like there was no tomorrow. Luckily there was no one around to watch. It was great.
Did I mention this can be whipped up in thirty minutes?
Enjoy! And if you give this Sun-dried Tomato Toasted Walnut Pasta recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Yield: 4 servings
Sun-dried Tomato Toasted Walnut Pesto Pasta
In this Sun-dried Tomato Toasted Walnut Pesto Pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, plus the oil they are packed in are blended with toasted walnuts, pecorino Romano cheese, fresh basil and garlic before tossed with wine and cooked pasta. A delicious and simple 30-minute meal!
- 1/4 cup walnut halves
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato oil, from the jar
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano, or parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine, like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
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Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add a palmful of fine sea salt.
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Mean while, toast the walnuts in a dry 10-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn. Once toasted, give them a rough chop.
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In a mini food processor or blender, add basil, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes and oil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, pecorino romano (or parmesan) cheese, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until thick and resembles pesto.
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Drop in the pasta and cook as directed on the package, usually 6 to 10 minutes on average.
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Reheat the same skillet used to toast the walnuts in over medium heat and add in the sun-dried tomato walnut pesto. Stir often while the pesto starts to caramelize on the bottom of the pan.
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Add in the wine and stir, scraping up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan.
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Remove the skillet off of the heat off.
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Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup pasta water (you most likely wont need all of it) and then drain the pasta in a colander.
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Add the cooked pasta to the sauce with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water, as needed.
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Toss to coat and season with more salt and pepper, if desired.
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Serve in bowls, sprinkled with more grated cheese and fresh torn basil.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 325kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 406mg, Potassium: 531mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 256IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 103mg, Iron: 2mg
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Laurie McNamara
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