Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Soak: 5 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
This super quick-and-easy, no-cook sauce, hailing from northwestern Italy’s coastal Liguria region, is great on gnocchi or any short, fresh pasta such as trofie or corzetti. Delicate and subtle, it’s also ideal for filled pasta such as ravioli or tortellini, as it’s delicate enough not to overpower the flavor of the filling.
Allegedly it originated as a sauce for Genovese-style pansotti, a triangular Ligurian pasta stuffed with a filling of ricotta and chard, spinach, and wild herbs such as borage. It's good on long, thin pasta as well, such as spaghetti or thick, chewy pici. You can also serve this as a simple antipasto or appetizer, spread on slices of crusty bread or crostini (small toasted slices of bread).
Sometimes this sauce is made with half walnuts and half pine nuts, with the addition of a splash of white wine, or with cream, but we prefer this simpler, lighter version, made with just walnuts, garlic, and milk.
It would pair well with a white Ligurian wine such as a Pigato or Vermentino, or a Prosecco when served as an antipasto.
Ingredients
- 2 slices of soft white bread (about 30 grams), crusts removed and torn into pieces
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 cup (4.4 ounces/125 grams) shelled walnuts
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- Optional: 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram leaves
- Optional toppings for serving: fresh marjoram leaves, minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, toasted chopped walnuts, additional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Soak the crustless bread pieces in 1/4 cup of milk until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, puree the nuts, garlic, Parmigiano, oil, salt, nutmeg, and marjoram (if using) together in a food processor or blender, or with a handheld immersion blender, to form a smooth paste. (If you want to do it old-school, use a mortar and pestle to grind the garlic, nuts, salt, nutmeg, and cheese together to a smooth paste before transferring to a separate bowl to stir in the olive oil.)
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Add the softened bread to the pureed nut mixture and puree again until smooth and even. Add additional milk, a little bit at a time, as needed to adjust the consistency. It should be about the same thickness as a basil pesto sauce if using on pasta, a bit thinner if using as a spread.
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Enjoy.
Tips
- When serving on pasta, be sure to retain some of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce when tossing it together with the pasta before serving.
- The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, or frozen for several weeks.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 2 to 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 414 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 34g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol 8mg | 3% |
| Sodium 231mg | 10% |
| Total Carbohydrate 23g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 11% |
| Protein 11g | |
| Calcium 200mg | 15% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
