Today we are talking about fettuccine with savoy cabbage and walnut pesto. Yes, the star of this dish is a vegetable not very “liked” by adults and children because of its strong and persistent smell. In this recipe, however, we will discover its delicacy, its sweet flavor to which we can contrast stronger flavors, such as dried fruits, speck, pancetta, and so on. The fettuccine with savoy cabbage and walnut pesto will surprise you. The savoy cabbage pesto is creamy, very easy to make, and very flavorful, yet not heavy. It’s tasty and more delicate than expected. It can also be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use; moreover, if there’s any left, you can use it to season sandwiches, bruschettes, etc. If we don’t have walnuts, we can use almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios. The recipe is by Alessandra Spisni; I made small changes to the original, based on my tastes.
In the blog, you will find other recipes with savoy cabbage as the star, such as savoy cabbage rolls filled with rice and speck, rice and savoy cabbage soup, and much more.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 12.3 oz savoy cabbage (cleaned)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsps mix of pecorino and parmesan
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste chili pepper (optional)
- to taste walnuts
- 8.8 oz egg fettuccine
- to taste chopped pancetta or speck (optional)
- to taste parmesan and walnut crumbs (to finish the dish)
Preparation
Wash the savoy cabbage leaves and remove the tough ribs. Coarsely chop them with a knife, place them in a pot with cold water, and let them simmer with a pinch of salt until they become tender.
Drain the savoy cabbage, place 2/3 of it in a blender bowl, add the grated cheese, crumbled walnuts, olive oil, and blend until the desired consistency is reached. If the mixture is too dense, you can dilute it with a bit more oil or pasta water. Adjust the pesto with salt and pepper or chili to taste and cover until ready to use.
Bring water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, brown the chopped speck (or diced pancetta) over low heat in a large pan, without adding fats. Then add both the non-blended savoy cabbage part and the pesto, and mix, always keeping on low heat, letting it flavor for a minute.
Drain the pasta al dente and pour it into the pan. Toss the pasta, mixing well to distribute the sauce over the fettuccine, adding a little pasta water at a time, until creating a cream. Serve with additional grated parmesan and walnut crumbs.
