Linguine with Creamy Arugula Walnut Pesto
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Adapted from an Anne Burrell recipe, this creamy twist on pesto pasta is delicious and super quick to make.
I love Anne Burrell’s recipes, and this pasta dish, adapted from her cookbook Cook Like a Rock Star: 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets (Clarkson Potter, 2011), is one of my favorites. It’s a creamy twist on pesto pasta, and it’s super quick to make — you can have it on the table in 25 minutes, tops. While the pasta cooks, you whip up a pesto with toasted walnuts, peppery arugula, sharp cheese, and garlic. When the pasta is ready, you toss it with the pesto, a bit of cream, and some of the pasta cooking water for a lusciously rich and flavorful dish.
What You’ll Need To Make Linguine with Creamy Arugula Walnut Pesto
Step-By-Step Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Meanwhile, place the walnuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 6 to 7 minutes, or until fragrant.
In a food processor, combine the toasted walnuts, arugula, garlic, pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, and pepper.
Process until the mixture resembles a coarse paste.
While the machine is running, drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube until the mixture is mostly smooth.
Reserve about 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the linguine in a colander.
Combine the pesto, cream, 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and drained linguine in a large saucepan.
Toss over medium heat until the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce and warmed through. Add more pasta water as necessary to thin the sauce.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
You May Also Like
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- Spaghetti with Kale and Walnut Pesto
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Linguine with Creamy Arugula Walnut Pesto
Adapted from an Anne Burrell recipe, this creamy twist on pesto pasta is delicious and super quick to make.
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 1 cup walnuts
- 3 cups baby arugula
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- ½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
- Meanwhile, place the walnuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 6 to 7 minutes, or until fragrant.
- In a food processor, combine the toasted walnuts, arugula, garlic, pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, and pepper. Process until the mixture resembles a coarse paste. While the machine is running, drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube until the mixture is mostly smooth.
- Reserve about 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the linguine in a colander.
- Combine the pesto, cream, and ½ cup of the cooking water in a 12-inch saucepan. Add the drained linguine and toss over medium heat until the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce and warmed through. Add more pasta water as necessary to thin the sauce. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 526
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Sodium: 341 mg
- Cholesterol: 47 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This pesto is so good. Aurugula and roasted walnuts are great combo. For pasta I didn’t have heavy cream, used milk with cornstarch instead and it worked well.
Interesting riff on basic pesto made with basil but could you please give amount of arugula or other greens you use in recipes (like kale for example) in weight. 3 cups can be a lot or a little depending on how tightly it’s packed.
Hi Susanna, The great majority of my recipes (including this one) include conversions to metric/weight measurements. To view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope that helps!