Basil and parsley pesto with fried walnuts, tossed with spaghetti alla chitarra
Brian Lagerstrom · ♥ 1.4K likes · 44.4K views · 8 min video
Read about ribbons and strands in the BrightCulinary Book
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Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 100 g walnuts
Preheat a medium saute pan over medium heat, add one tablespoon of neutral oil and 100 grams of walnuts; they should sizzle at once.
- salt
Salt the walnuts as they fry and fry about two minutes, until just turning golden brown; frying gets heat into the nut faster than dry roasting.
- 8–10 whole sun-gold cherry tomatoes
Drain on a paper towel and cool in the freezer; hot nuts make brown pesto.
Grate the pecorino on the finest side of a box grater so it dissolves into the pesto.
- 225 g extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g red onion
- 5 g salt
- 15 g parsley
- 100 g sweet fresh basil
- 100 g grated pecorino cheese
In a food processor, combine the walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, red onion, salt, stemmed parsley, basil and pecorino.
Process on high a full 30 seconds until it just turns homogenous and saucy; too chunky will not grip the pasta.
- 30 g lemon juice
Stream in the lemon juice after the herbs are emulsified into the oil, to help keep the colour; taste and adjust acid and salt, then chill. Keeps a day or two.
- 3–4 quart water
- 4 oz spaghetti alla chitarra
Bring three or four quarts of water to a boil and salt generously.
- salt
Cook four ounces of pasta per the package, about nine to 10 minutes, stirring to separate, a little past al dente since it is served at room temperature and firms as it cools.
- 2–3 tbsp pasta cooking water
Drain into a medium bowl with two to three tablespoons of the cooking water and let cool three or four minutes until just warm.
- 4 tbsp pesto
Fold in about four tablespoons of pesto and toss about 30 seconds until the starch, water and pesto make a creamy sauce; add a splash of water if dry.