Fettuccine verdi with walnut sauce is a pasta of fresh green fettuccine tossed in a creamy sauce of walnuts, pecorino and Greek-style yogurt, ready in about 35 minutes. It feeds 4, and the sauce needs no stove, only a mortar and a spoon.
Why This Recipe Works
The sauce starts with a pounded paste of nuts, soaked breadcrumbs, garlic, pecorino and marjoram. Pounding in a mortar breaks the nuts down finely and releases their oil, so the sauce turns silky instead of gritty.
Peeling the brown skins off the nuts matters more than it seems. The skins taste bitter, so removing as much as you can leaves a sweeter, cleaner nut flavor.
The olive oil goes in slowly while you stir, which keeps the paste smooth and glossy. The yogurt goes in last. It adds a light tang and makes the sauce creamy without any cream.
Fettuccine Verdi with Walnut Sauce Ingredients
For the walnut sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh white breadcrumbs
- 5 ounces shelled walnuts or hazelnuts (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- 2 ounces freshly grated pecorino cheese (about 1/2 cup)
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons strained Greek-style yogurt
For the pasta
- 1 pound fresh green fettuccine or tagliatelle
- Freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Fettuccine Verdi with Walnut Sauce
Prepare the nuts and breadcrumbs
- Soak the breadcrumbs: Cover the breadcrumbs with water and leave them for 10 minutes. Squeeze them dry, so they thicken the sauce without making it watery.
- Skin the nuts: Put the walnuts or hazelnuts in hot water, then rub off as much of the brown skin as you can. The skins taste bitter. Pat the nuts dry with paper towels.
Make the sauce
- Pound the paste: Put the nuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, pecorino, salt and marjoram in a mortar. Pound with the pestle until the mixture is fine, then move it to a small bowl.
- Add the oil: Pour in the olive oil a little at a time, stirring constantly with a spoon. Slow pouring keeps the sauce smooth instead of oily.
- Stir in the yogurt: Stir in the Greek-style yogurt last, until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Cook and toss the pasta
- Cook the pasta: Cook the fettuccine for 5 to 7 minutes, until al dente. Drain it well.
- Toss and serve: Toss the hot pasta with the sauce right away, so it coats every strand. Finish with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe Tips
- Save some pasta water: Keep a small cup of the cooking water before you drain. A spoonful loosens the sauce if it tightens on the pasta.
- Taste before salting: Pecorino is already salty. Taste the sauce before you add more salt, and go lightly.
- Toast the nuts: Warm the skinned nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes before pounding. They taste deeper and nuttier.
- Use a food processor: No mortar? Pulse the nuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cheese and marjoram in short bursts. Stop while the paste still has a little texture.
What To Serve With Fettuccine Verdi with Walnut Sauce
Serve the pasta right away in warm bowls, while the sauce is creamy. A simple arugula salad with lemon and a glass of crisp white wine go well with it.
How To Store
- Fridge: Store the pasta and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Warm the pasta gently in a skillet with a splash of water, stirring until hot all the way through.
- Make ahead: The sauce keeps in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir it again and toss it with freshly cooked pasta.
FAQs
Can I use hazelnuts instead of walnuts?
Yes, the recipe works with either. Hazelnuts give a slightly sweeter, rounder flavor, and walnuts are a little more bitter and earthy.
Can I make the sauce without pecorino?
You can swap in Parmesan, which is milder and a bit less salty. Taste before you add extra salt.
Is this pasta vegetarian?
Yes, there is no meat or fish in the ingredient list. Check that your pecorino is made with vegetarian rennet if that matters to you.
Why is my sauce bitter?
Leftover nut skins are the usual cause. Soak the nuts in hot water and rub off as much skin as you can before pounding.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 780 kcal
- Total Fat: 52g
- Total Carbohydrate: 58g
- Dietary Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 22g
Fettuccine Verdi with Walnut Sauce
4
servings25
minutes10
minutes35
minutesGreen fettuccine in a creamy sauce of pounded walnuts, pecorino, marjoram and Greek-style yogurt. A no-cook sauce for 4 that comes together while the pasta boils.
Ingredients
- For the walnut sauce
1 tablespoon fresh white breadcrumbs
5 ounces shelled walnuts or hazelnuts (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 small garlic clove, peeled
2 ounces freshly grated pecorino cheese (about 1/2 cup)
Salt
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons strained Greek-style yogurt
- For the pasta
1 pound fresh green fettuccine or tagliatelle
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Soak the breadcrumbs: Cover the breadcrumbs with water and leave them for 10 minutes. Squeeze them dry, so they thicken the sauce without making it watery.
- Skin the nuts: Put the walnuts or hazelnuts in hot water, then rub off as much of the brown skin as you can. The skins taste bitter. Pat the nuts dry with paper towels.
- Pound the paste: Put the nuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, pecorino, salt and marjoram in a mortar. Pound with the pestle until the mixture is fine, then move it to a small bowl.
- Add the oil: Pour in the olive oil a little at a time, stirring constantly with a spoon. Slow pouring keeps the sauce smooth instead of oily.
- Stir in the yogurt: Stir in the Greek-style yogurt last, until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Cook the pasta: Cook the fettuccine for 5 to 7 minutes, until al dente. Drain it well.
- Toss and serve: Toss the hot pasta with the sauce right away, so it coats every strand. Finish with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
