Pasta with Lemon-Walnut Pesto and Breadcrumbs
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Category
American
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Cusine
American
What do you need?
How to make?
Ingredients
1 pound of pasta
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Directions
In a medium skillet, melt the butter with 1 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden-brown and toasted, about 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Stir 1 Tbs. of the cheese into the breadcrumbs, and season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. In a food processor, combine the basil, walnuts, preserved lemon, lemon juice, and garlic, and pulse to combine. With the machine running, pour in the remaining 1/2 cup oil until the mixture is finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and then drain the pasta. Transfer the pasta to the bowl with the pesto, and toss to coat. Add tablespoonfuls of the cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Divide the pasta among four bowls, and garnish with the breadcrumbs and torn fresh basil leaves.