Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Walnut Pesto Pasta with Broccoli and Mushrooms

One of the few things I have not yet made in my new kitchen is pasta.  It had been a while since I made it at my old place as well.  I am not sure what is going on there but I am sure there is some deep psychological issue needing to be resolved in order for me to make that pile of flour and eggs and start mixing it all together.  Or maybe I've just been busier than usual these past months.

By January I was jonesing for pasta - any pasta - so I decided to use some dried whole wheat rotini I had on hand to tide me over until I could get it together enough to make some.

I am trying to eat mushrooms and some kind of cruciferous vegetables every day as part of my vegecentric diet and happily enough both of those foods lend themselves well to pasta.  I thought they would pair well with pesto but I did not have any pine nuts.

I did have walnuts, though, so I decided to make a walnut pesto using a recipe from Saveur Magazine as the main base.  My neighborhood grocery store had beautiful fresh basil which was a blessing in the middle of January so I was all set.

I was pleased with the results.  The walnuts offer a more subtle flavor than the pine nuts which, while delicious, have a strong distinct flavor that dominates the dish and I was afraid it would overpower the broccoli and mushrooms as well.  The walnuts provided a smooth, rich undertone to the pesto that married well with the pasta and broccoli. 

While there will always be a place in my heart for traditional pesto, this walnut version makes for a nice change when you want other ingredients to have a chance to shine.

I cooked the broccoli just a little longer than I should have so it was a bit on the mushy side.  It did not detract from the overall flavor but next time I will make sure not to let it go over three minutes.

Home Cookin v9.74 Chapter: Grains Pasta and Potatoes
WALNUT PESTO PASTA WITH BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOMS

1-1/2 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb broccoli stems and florets
1 lb cooked mushrooms (here's how I cook mine)
1 lb whole wheat rotini or other short whole wheat pasta
grated parmesan, to garnish

 Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  When the water boils, add a large tablespoon of salt and then add the broccoli florets and stems to the pot.  Cover and turn off the heat and let it sit for 3 minutes.  Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  When the broccoli is cool, drain and set aside.


Process the basil, walnuts, pecorino, parmesan, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.  With the power on, add the olive oil through the top feeder in a steady stream and process until it reaches your desired consistency.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 Bring the pot of water to a boil again and cook the pasta according to the package directions.  When it is done, reserve about a cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.  Do not rinse it.  Add it back to the pot over a low heat and add the broccoli, mushrooms, and pesto.  Combine all of the ingredients and cook until everything is heated through, adding some of the reserved pasta water to reach a smooth consistency.  Remove from the heat and serve immediately garnished with the grated parmesan.

walnut pesto recipe adapted from http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Pesto-di-Noce-Walnut-Pesto
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