For Genoese people, Walnut Sauce is the perfect condiment for Pansoti, a Ligurian fresh pasta filled with greens or, alternatively, trofie, lasagna, or gnocchi. It’s a cream-free sauce mainly composed of walnuts. In the original recipe, the walnut skins are not removed, but since the skin imparts a bitter taste, some prefer to blanch and remove them. Additionally, a mortar should be used for this preparation, but in my opinion, a blender works just fine. Prepare the Genoese Walnut Sauce with me.
Recipe from 01/24/2017 updated
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 314.06 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 10.73 (g) of which sugars 3.83 (g)
- Proteins 8.20 (g)
- Fat 26.58 (g) of which saturated 2.45 (g)of which unsaturated 3.11 (g)
- Fibers 1.81 (g)
- Sodium 350.82 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 90 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
- 3/4 cup walnut kernels
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 slice white bread crumb
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 4 sprigs marjoram (fresh)
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- nutmeg (grated)
Tools
- Food Scale
- Immersion Blender
- Bowl
Steps
Remove the skin covering the walnuts by blanching them, and it will come off easily. Otherwise, if you don’t mind the bitterness that is part of this recipe, leave them as they are, as I did. In the blender glass, place the bread crumb previously soaked in milk, the pine nuts, marjoram, half garlic clove with the core removed, walnuts, salt, and nutmeg. Operate the blender and chop everything. Pour the obtained sauce into a bowl and add the extra virgin olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese. Mix and dress your dish.
Storage
The Walnut Sauce can be stored in closed jars and frozen or kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.
FAQ
Isn’t cream used in the walnut sauce?
No, in the traditional Ligurian Walnut Sauce, NO CREAM is used
