White Pesto Pasta

Name: White Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 cup walnuts; 1 cup whole-milk ricotta; 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; ½ cup olive oil; 2 garlic cloves; 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 pound Manfredi Lunghi pasta or spaghetti; ½ cup fresh basil, torn

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Although the verdant green Pesto Alla Genovese is what likely first comes to mind when one thinks of pesto, Italy is host to tons of pesto varieties. Pesto translates to “to crush” or “to pound,” so the only technical requirement for a pesto to be a pesto is for the ingredients to be crushed. Traditionally, this was done in Italy with a mortar and pestle – but we turn to the trusty food processor for our pestos.

This creamy and flavorful spin on pesto has a base of toasted walnuts, ricotta and Parmesan. Use your favorite olive oil for this, as the flavor will stand out! Garlic and lemon give it a boost of bright flavor, and the result is about as decadent as a no-cook alfredo sauce.

This is delicious tossed with pasta as we have written in the recipe, but this sauce would be excellent on crostini, pizza, or used as a bed of sauce underneath roasted or grilled veggies.

White Pesto

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Calories

732

Author:

Giadzy

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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½ cup olive oil

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2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound Manfredi Lunghi pasta or spaghetti

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½ cup fresh basil, torn

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 12 minutes.
Transfer the walnuts to a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and salt and process until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta and pasta water to the bowl and toss to coat the pasta and loosen the sauce. Top with fresh basil and serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Serving Size: 6
per serving: Calories; 732

Amount/Serving % Daily Value

Carbs: 64 grams
Protein: 25 grams
Fat: 43 grams
Saturated Fat: 10 grams
Cholestrol: 37 milligrams
Sodium: 426 milligrams
Fiber: 4 grams
Sugar: 3 grams

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4 reviews & comments

Rita - Jan 19

★★★★★

★★★★★

Can you use an alternative to the walnuts if someone is allergic?
Can’t wait to make this, my friend just ordered two boxes of the pasta for me!
The Giadzy Kitchen - Aug 18

★★★★★

★★★★★

@summer sunflower seeds or pepitas would work too!
Summer Cobarrubias - Aug 18

★★★★★

★★★★★

I am allergic to walnuts – can you recommend an alternative?

Giadzy - Jan 19
Hi! As an alternative you can use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds! Anther option is to omit the nuts from the recipe :)