What’s cooking…Bow Tie Pasta with Parsley Walnut Pesto

I have to admit that the first time I ever tasted pesto I thought it was pretty nasty. Of course, it was some pre-made stuff and who knows what they put in there. Even over here the pre-made stuff has odd ingredients in it. True pesto is pretty simple: basil, garlic, oil, pine nuts and parmigiano, so when I look at the label and it has 10 or more ingredients, I know it can’t be good.

Now I’m an old hand at making pesto. I don’t even measure anything, just throw some basil in the food processor, along with some garlic, then pine nuts, oil, cheese and maybe a little salt. It’s really easy and great with potato gnocchi.

I know, some of you are saying, “A food processor! Horrors! Good pesto is only made by hand.” But, yes, I admit, I make it with one of those small handy food processors. Modern conveniences are wonderful.

Pesto to me is the quintessential summer dish. It just tastes green. There’s no other way to describe it. But, I’d always made it with basil and pine nuts which I guess is the most well-known version. So, recently I decided to try something different and since I have a nice big pot of parsley growing on my balcony, I figured that would be my ingredient of choice. I was a little nervous though since I’m not all that fond of raw parsley, but what the heck, you only live once.

It turned out to be delicious, however, the ratio of walnuts to parsley seems greater than the ratio of pine nuts to basil. That’s fine though since walnuts cost less than pine nuts – another good reason to try this pesto.

Ingredients

1 lb shaped pasta such as bow ties, penne, rigatoni.

1 cup parsley leaves, washed and drained
3 ounces chopped walnuts
2 cloves garlic
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup grated parmigiano

While the pasta is cooking, put the parsley in the food processor and process for about 30 seconds.
Add the walnuts, scraping the sides of the food processor to make sure it is all mixed.
Add the garlic to the food processor and process for another few seconds.
Now add the oil, a little at a time to make sure it gets fully incorporated. You might need a little more oil or a little less.
Add the parmigiano cheese and process again, adding a little more oil if necessary.
At this point, taste the pesto and add a little salt if necessary.
Remember, your pesto should be fairly compact and not liquid. It will “melt” when added to the hot pasta.

Once your pasta is done, drain it and pour it into a bowl. It’s actually best if a little bit of water is still clinging to the pasta.
Add the pesto and stir thoroughly to make sure all of the pasta is coated.

You can pass some extra grated cheese if you like, but I doubt it will be necessary.

Enjoy!

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