Featured Recipe
Walnut Cream Tagliatelle Remix
By Kate
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Tagliatelle tossed in a reinvented walnut cream sauce with toasted pecans and aged pecorino Romano. Artichoke hearts swapped for sun-dried tomatoes for a tangy bite. Cream sauce incorporates cashew butter for added silkiness. Pasta cooked al dente, saved cooking liquid to adjust sauce texture. Garnished with crunchy pecans and extra grated pecorino at serving. A vegetarian, egg-free dish balancing creamy, nutty, and tangy notes using simple pantry staples.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
12 min
Total:
37 min
Serves:
4 servings
vegetarian
Italian
pasta
nuts
easy meal
Introduction
Nuts, cream, pasta—something old, something tweaked. Forget routine. Shift walnuts down a notch, bring pecans in for crunch and mellow flavor. Sun-dried tomatoes swap artichokes to brighten the sauce with subtle sweetness and acidity. Cashew butter sneaks in creaminess without heaviness. No eggs in the dough needed here; rely on olive oil and nut fats for richness. Crucial: watching the pasta like a hawk. Al dente means toothsome, slight chew—you’ll want to test a strand as it cooks. Sauce needs that pasta water—starchy glue that marries cream and noodles seamlessly. Toast those nuts; the aroma tells you when they’re near perfection. Toss fast, toss fully to coat every tagliatelle ribbon with sauce. No drowning in sauce puddles here. Parmesan or rather pecorino calls at the end—sharp salt mounting into the dish’s backbone. Crucial is balancing textures and flavors; crunchy nuts, earthy cheese, silky sauce, vibrant sun-dried tomatoes. No fluff, just straight-to-the-point plating. This isn’t a quick whip—gentle, confident attention pays off with every bite natural and grounded.
Ingredients
Walnut Cream
- 70 g (3/4 cup) walnuts
- 40 g (1/2 cup) grated pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra to serve
- 50 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
- 40 ml (2 1/2 tbsp) water
- 1 pot 170 ml (6 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and drained
- 1 tbsp cashew butter
- 320 g (11 oz) tagliatelle
- 45 g (1/3 cup) pecans, chopped and toasted
Pasta
About the ingredients
Walnuts can taste bitter if old; buy fresh, store in fridge. Toasting nuts unlocks oils; watch closely or they burn. Pecorino Romano differs from Parmesan: sharper, saltier—so adjust salt accordingly. Cashew butter boosts creaminess without dairy—perfect for slight tang and texture if fresh cream unavailable. Sun-dried tomatoes vary - oily types richer, dry types more intense—rinse lightly to control oil content. Pasta water is liquid gold here for sauce integration—reserve enough, but don’t make sauce too thin. Pecans add buttery notes but can be replaced by toasted hazelnuts or almonds if preferred. Olive oil quality matters; use extra virgin for aroma, avoid neutral oils; they dull the final flavor. Salt pasta water generously — rule of thumb: water should taste like seawater. Never rinse pasta post-cook — you lose surface starch that makes sauce stick.
Method
Walnut Cream
- Pulse walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, pecorino, olive oil, water, and cashew butter in a food processor until velvety. Scrape down sides. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Should be creamy but not watery. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil — salt should smell briny like the sea. Drop tagliatelle. Stir immediately to prevent sticking.
- Cook pasta until tender but with bite. Press a strand between fingers; slight resistance but no crunch means ready. Reserve 350 ml (1 1/2 cups) pasta water before draining. Don’t rinse the pasta— you want starch for sauce adherence.
- Heat the walnut cream in a wide pan over medium heat. Add 200 ml (about 7 fl oz) of reserved pasta water gradually to loosen sauce. Stir, listen for gentle simmer, aroma of nuts and olive oil blooming out.
- Add drained tagliatelle to the sauce. Toss vigorously with tongs or wooden spoon so sauce coats every strand evenly. Adjust texture adding splash more pasta water. Sauce should cling, not pool excessively.
- Taste. Add salt or pepper carefully. Avoid overseasoning — cheese and nuts bring saltiness.
- Plate pasta immediately. Scatter toasted pecans over top for crunch contrast. Sprinkle extra pecorino Romano. Serve steaming with robust red wine or crisp white.
- If sauce thickens too much during tossing, quick fix: ladle in a little pasta water off-heat to loosen, then back on heat to warm, not boil.
- For vegan swap: replace pecorino with nutritional yeast or vegan cheese. Use maple syrup drizzle for sweet-savoury contrast with nuts.
- Pecans give deeper, buttery notes unlike walnuts' sharper bitterness. Toast nuts over medium heat until fragrant and edges turn golden—watch closely to avoid burning.
- Sun-dried tomatoes lift the sauce brightness and add chewy texture replacing artichokes’ earthiness.
Pasta
Technique Tips
Pulse nuts and tomatoes until velvety; scrape sides to ensure smooth, evenly blended texture. Over-blending can heat paste and turn bitter; pulse in short bursts instead. Cook pasta in rapidly boiling salted water. Stir early to prevent clumping. Proper al dente is key: test with a quick bite for firmness. Reserve cooking water before draining; starch in water is crucial binder for the sauce. Heat walnut cream gently — too hot and nuts lose aroma, too cold and sauce feels heavy. when adding pasta water, do so gradually; adjust until sauce is satin texture, neither runny nor gluey. Toss pasta in sauce off direct heat to avoid over-thickening. Adjust seasoning last—nuts and cheese add more salt than expected. Toasted nuts added last retain crunch; add early, nuts soften. For leftovers, store sauce and pasta separately; reheat gently adding a splash of water. Avoid microwaving to prevent sauce separation.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Pulse walnuts, recognize that texture matters—aim for velvety, avoid overblending. Scrape sides, keep mixture even. Adjust water for desired creaminess.
- 💡 Salt the pasta water generously—think briny sea. Boiling vigorously, drop tagliatelle, stir right away. Test for doneness; it should not crunch, just have bite.
- 💡 Add pasta water gradually while heating walnut cream. Loosen sauce to satin texture. Too little makes it cling; too much, it’ll be runny.
- 💡 Toasting nuts boosts flavor—aroma matters. Watch for golden edges; don’t burn. Pecans add buttery notes, replace with hazelnuts for variation.
- 💡 Balance flavors last—taste adjusts seasoning post tossing. Pecorino is salty, a little can go far. Consider skip if using pungent choices.
