Best Bucatini With Walnut Parsley Pesto Recipes

Bucatini With Walnut-Parsley Pesto image

Provided by Chris Morocco

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 cup walnuts
6 pickled Calabrian chiles or 1 Fresno chile with seeds
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound bucatini or spaghetti

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and slightly darkened, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
Pulse 3/4 cup walnuts in a food processor or blender until very finely chopped (but not pasty). Reserve remaining walnuts for serving. Remove stems from chiles; add to food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Transfer walnut mixture to a medium bowl and stir in garlic, Parmesan, oil, and 1 cup parsley. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot and add pesto along with 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Toss, adding splashes of cooking liquid as needed, until pesto coats pasta and sauce is glossy.
Crush reserved walnuts with the flat side of a knife. Divide pasta among bowls and top with walnuts and more parsley.
Do Ahead
Pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Walnut and Parsley Pesto image

Provided by Chef John

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 7

4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 large pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ cup chopped raw walnuts
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
Juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
water, if needed

Steps:

Place garlic and salt in a mortar; smash and mash with the pestle until it becomes a paste, 5 to 8 minutes. Add walnuts; mash walnuts into a paste until you reach your desired texture (coarse or smoother), another 5 to 8 minutes. Add parsley and mash to break up and blend with the walnut/garlic mixture, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and olive oil; stir, mash, and emulsify liquids into the mixture until it becomes very thick and well blended, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. If mixture seems too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of water, or as needed.
Spread on bread, use on pizza or pasta, or on roasted chicken. The taste is just like garlic butter, so use it as such.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 84.9 calories, Carbohydrate 2.4 g, Fat 8.3 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 1.4 g, SaturatedFat 0.9 g, Sodium 77.6 mg, Sugar 0.4 g