Pasta with radicchio, pancetta and walnuts cream, radicchio and walnut pesto pasta is an irresistible first course, quick, tasty, colorful and very easy to prepare, just like Pasta with basil and walnut pesto or Pasta with broccoli and walnut pesto and suitable for the whole family.
The method to make radicchio pesto with pancetta or speck is really simple and once prepared you can use it within a few days to make a delightfully creamy and comforting pasta. Let’s go to the kitchen and see right away how to make pasta with radicchio pesto and pancetta. Before you start cooking, if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients to make pasta with radicchio, pancetta and walnuts cream
- 14 oz radicchio
- 7 oz pancetta (speck or sausage)
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 oz walnut halves
- 2/3 cup Parmesan (or Grana)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Tools
- Pot
- Pan
- Blender
Preparation
For this recipe I used early red radicchio, but you can also use the late variety.
Separate the radicchio leaves from each other and rinse them. Warm (but do not fry) the garlic in the oil, add the pancetta or speck or even the sausage and wait until it changes color, becoming paler.
Add the radicchio leaves and as soon as they begin to wilt, pour in the vinegar — this will prevent them from darkening too much. Soften the leaves (it will only take a few minutes), then collect everything in the blender jar together with the ricotta and Parmesan. Blend until you obtain a smooth cream, adding a little oil (or some of the pasta cooking water if you plan to dress the pasta with the pesto) if the mixture is too thick.
For a bit more flavor, add the walnut halves and blend again to incorporate them into the mixture. The pesto is ready: cook the pasta, drain it al dente and toss it with the sauce together with a little pasta water, mix and serve.
Storage and tips
Prepare only the amount of pasta you intend to eat. With this amount of cream you will be able to dress about 1.1–1.3 lb (500–600 g) of pasta. Any leftover pesto for smaller quantities of pasta can be stored in the refrigerator for 3–4 days or frozen and thawed as needed in the fridge, or for a few minutes at room temperature.
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