Capellini Piedmontese

Name: Capellini Piedmontese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 cups lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley; 3/4 cup toasted walnuts; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves; 3 garlic cloves; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste); 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more to taste); 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 red bell peppers (cored, seeded, and thinly sliced); 1 orange bell pepper (cored, seeded, and thinly sliced); 1 yellow bell pepper (cored, seeded, and thinly sliced); 2 leeks (thinly sliced crosswise and well rinsed); 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped); 1 pound pasta, such as Vermicelli Lunghi, Capellini or Angel Hair; 8 ounces fontina cheese (cut into small cubes); Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

15 MINPrep Time

15 MINCook Time

6Servings

by Giada De Laurentiis

Beginner

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

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Walnut pesto is very popular in Piedmont, where I first tasted this dish. It's really great on its own, simply tossed with a long-cut pasta, but I think the peppers give it a bit more body and also make the dish more beautiful on the plate.

Capellini Piedmontese

Servings

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Ingredients

For The Walnut Pesto:

2 cups lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

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3/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more to taste)

For The Pasta:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 red bell peppers (cored, seeded, and thinly sliced)
1 orange bell pepper (cored, seeded, and thinly sliced)
1 yellow bell pepper (cored, seeded, and thinly sliced)
2 leeks (thinly sliced crosswise and well rinsed)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 pound pasta, such as Vermicelli Lunghi, Capellini or Angel Hair
8 ounces fontina cheese (cut into small cubes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

For the pesto, combine the parsley, walnuts, thyme, and garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor, blend until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the 1/2 cup of oil, processing until well blended. Season the pesto with the salt and pepper.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, leeks, and the finely chopped garlic. Saute until the bell peppers are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the capellini and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 4 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the pesto, bell pepper mixture, and cheese, adding enough reserved pasta water to moisten. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.