The creamy pasta with red radicchio and walnuts is a simple and quick recipe, prepared without cream, perfect when you want a tasty main dish at the last minute: the sauce is made while the pasta cooks. It takes few ingredients and little time to bring a comforting and flavorful dish to the table.
It greatly resembles my pasta with radicchio, gorgonzola, and walnuts, but today’s version is even creamier: the secret lies in blending the radicchio with the spreadable cheese, turning it into a velvety cream that perfectly coats the pasta. And it is precisely thanks to this step that the dish turns out irresistibly creamy.
Red radicchio is a really versatile vegetable: in addition to pasta, you can use it to prepare an excellent red radicchio risotto or some tasty focaccine with red radicchio and taleggio cheese. In short, it lends itself to many preparations.
Let’s see how to make this recipe in a few simple steps.
“See you at the next recipe… and meanwhile set the table!”
TRY ALSO:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 425.21 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 29.94 (g) of which sugars 2.72 (g)
- Proteins 16.84 (g)
- Fat 26.62 (g) of which saturated 0.85 (g)of which unsaturated 0.44 (g)
- Fibers 2.68 (g)
- Sodium 875.99 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 290 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 11 oz pasta (penne, fusilli, tagliatelle)
- 1 head radicchio (red)
- 7 oz robiola
- 1 shallot
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1.8 oz walnut kernels (chopped)
Tools
- Saucepan
- Frying Pan
- Hand Blender
Steps: pasta with radicchio and walnuts
Take a not too large head of radicchio, wash it, remove the hard part and slice it into thin strips.
In a large frying pan, sauté the chopped shallot with the oil, add the radicchio, a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-7 minutes until it becomes soft.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the chosen pasta according to the times indicated on the package.
Meanwhile, transfer the cooked radicchio, the robiola, and some pasta cooking water into the hand blender cup, then blend until you get a smooth and velvety cream; if necessary, add more cooking water to adjust the consistency.
Transfer the cream to the pan, adjust salt and pepper, and heat for a few minutes; then, drain the pasta al dente and toss it in the cream for 1 minute.
Here it is, the pasta with radicchio is ready: just serve it on plates and finish it with chopped walnuts to add the right crunchy note. Simple, quick and creamy, just as promised. Enjoy your meal!
Storage and advice
Storage: store the pasta with radicchio and walnuts in the refrigerator for one day, kept in a closed container. Before using it again, I recommend reheating it by adding a little pasta cooking water to make it creamy again.
Advice: you can also choose not to blend the radicchio with the cheese. In this case, just add the robiola directly to the pan along with the cooked vegetable, always extending it with pasta cooking water.
FAQ
Can I replace robiola?
Yes, you can replace robiola with spreadable cheese or well-drained ricotta.
What can I replace walnuts with?
You can replace them with almonds, hazelnuts, or pine nuts, slightly chopped or toasted. Alternatively, for a more flavorful version, you can add crispy speck cut into strips.
What pasta shape is best suited with radicchio and walnuts?
The ideal shapes are penne, fusilli, mezze maniche, or rigatoni, which hold the cream well. Also excellent with tagliatelle or pappardelle.
