Walnut and ricotta pesto
Walnut and ricotta pesto
Pesto comes from a region in Italy called Liguria (home to the Italian Riviera). Although less famous than its basil brethren, this walnut variant is one of my favourites. The first time I tried this pesto was in Manarola, Cinque Terre, sitting on the balcony of our Airbnb overlooking the main square. We decided to get takeaway pasta from a place nearby and just as we sat down to eat, a classical guitar group came out onto the square and played for the duration of our meal.
It’s funny how I have such a memory for food. I can usually remember exactly what I ate at every place I’ve ever been on holiday. Yet my memory for other parts of the holiday is hazy at best. At least it’s come in handy when I decided to make this blog!
You can serve this pesto with your choice of pasta or gnocchi. The ricotta and lemon zest make it delightfully light and fresh, and the walnuts make it, well, nutty. This dish is perfect for a quick mid-week meal. Buon appetito!
Serves 4
Ingredients
½ cup walnuts
½ cup fresh ricotta
1 lemon, zested
1 garlic clove
Small handful fresh oregano
¼ cup parmesan, grated
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Toast the walnuts on a baking tray in the oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Place the walnuts in a mortar and pestle, along with the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Pound for a bit then add the parmesan and pound some more until the walnuts are crushed. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can do this in a food processor.
Place the walnut mixture in a bowl and add the ricotta, lemon zest, oregano and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Mix until combined.
Gradually add the olive oil and stir until all the oil has incorporated.
Cook some pasta or gnocchi (about 100g per person) in a large pot of salted boiling water. Add some of the pasta water (about ¼ cup) to the walnut pesto, stirring to combine. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Drain the pasta or gnocchi and mix with the walnut pesto. Serve in large bowls, topped with extra grated parmesan.
