Penne with arugula and walnut pesto are tasty, very easy, and especially quick.
Thanks to the presence of walnuts and pecorino, we can limit the use of oil and salt, making this exquisite first course even lighter. Generally, I like to add oil-packed anchovy fillets to the arugula and walnut pesto, which, in my opinion, help to mitigate the bitterness of the arugula. Like all my recipes, this one can also be personalized according to your tastes and needs; in fact, we can make the penne with arugula and walnut pesto completely vegetarian by eliminating the cheese and adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of very cold water (instead of more oil) to emulsify the pesto and a pinch more salt to make it tastier.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 9 oz Penne Rigate (also gluten-free)
- 0.7 oz Arugula
- 8 Walnut halves (optional)
- to taste Pecorino romano
- to taste Fine salt
- to taste Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Place the blender bowl and blades in the freezer; this will prevent the arugula from darkening and oxidizing and the walnuts from releasing too much oil. In the meantime, bring the water for the pasta to a boil and prepare the ingredients for the pesto.
Wash the arugula under running water and let it drain. Meanwhile, grate the pecorino or any other cheese of your choice; finally, shell the walnuts.
While the penne cooks, take the bowl out of the freezer, add all the ingredients, and blend, pouring the oil slowly in a stream until you get a smooth and thick mixture according to your taste. Drain the penne, add the arugula pesto, dilute it with a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water to make it more fluid, toss, and immediately serve your pasta with arugula and walnut pesto. Finish the dish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and walnut crumbs.
