WALNUT SAUCE (SALSA DI NOCI) TRADITIONAL LIGURIAN RECIPE and some ideas on how to use it.
In the Italian Riviera the most famous sauce is Genoa basil pesto (If you want to try my recipe here the link), a great classics of Ligurian cuisine, but maybe not everyone knows another sauce based on walnuts: WALNUT SAUCE or SALSA DI NOCI.
Here my grandma recipe of this traditional Ligurian walnut sauce, an healthy, energetic, vegetarian savory course of the Genoa culinary tradition and some ideas on how to use it.
In Genoa, walnut sauce is typically used to season pansotti (a traditional kind of ravioli filled with spontaneous herbs), but actually it is a sauce very good with any kind of pasta.
There are different recipes but all the traditional one, all, do not require milk cream.
Try out the recipe of walnut sauce here below and you will be surprised at the soft density you can obtain just emulsifying walnuts with lukewarm water and a couple of spoons of extra virgin olive oil.
It takes a couple of minutes and you can prepare it, when pasta is boiling, using mixer or as tradition rules with marble mortar and pestle!
Traditionally this walnut sauce is made with fresh walnuts. But of course, you can use dried ones. I did. Most recipes call for boiling the shelled walnuts for a few minutes and then peeling them. This makes them less bitter and sweeter. Not everyone does this because it takes a bit of time. However, I think it is not worth it because you will still get a creamy and delicate sauce.
Ingredients WALNUT SAUCE – SALSA DI NOCI
- Power 390,62 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6,05 (g) of which sugars 2,90 (g)
- Proteins 7,25 (g)
- Fat 37,55 (g) of which saturated 2,06 (g)of which unsaturated 0,62 (g)
- Fibers 1,92 (g)
- Sodium 210,62 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Tools
How to make Ligurian walnut sauce – SALSA DI NOCI
Some traditional recipe suggests to remove the outer rind of the walnuts after having immersed them into boiling water for few seconds. I do not remove the rind because I like a more rustic consistency in the sauce and I believe that also the rind contributes to give a characteristic flavor to the sauce
walnut sauce: soak the bread
First you have to soak the bread in milk for a while. When it is completely wet, drain it and squeeze it between your hands.
salsa di noci: blend sauce
Put the drained bread in the blender along with: walnuts, parmesan, garlic, marjoram leaves, and 1 pinch of salt. Blend in the food processor for 2 minutes until the walnuts are well crumbled and the mixture becomes smooth. Add olive oil and lukewarm water as needed to obtain a thick creamy sauce.
how seasoning pasta with walnut sauce
When it’s time to season the pasta remember to water down the sauce with 4-5 tablespoons of the hot water where the pasta is boiling. Save a cup of boiling water to add to the past just in case it remains too dry after seasoning.
NOTES
WALNUT: Some traditional recipe suggests to remove the outer rind of the walnuts after having immersed them into boiling water for few seconds. I do not remove the rind because I like a more rustic consistency in the sauce and I believe that also the rind contributes to give a characteristic flavor to the sauce
PASTA FOR WALNUT SAUCE: Of course, you can use many different types of pasta in this walnut sauce recipe. But, if you want to enjoy this dish the Ligurian way, then the traditional pastas are firstly, pansoti, a type of ravioli from Genova. This stuffed pasta is typically filled with wild herbs and a fresh local cheese. However, many people make pansotti with more easily available greens such as spinach, chard, borage and endive, and ricotta.
The other two typical pasta partners for Ligurian walnut sauce are corzetti, pasta medallions that date back to Medieval times, and trofie. Trofie is another ancient Ligurian pasta, traditionally homemade and served with basil pesto.
If you can’t find trofie, then strozzapreti, casarecce, cavatappi (cellentani) or gemelli are all similar shapes you can use. But, even penne would work or spaghetti. Whichever, pasta you use I’m sure this walnut sauce pasta will become a regular dish in your kitchen. It’s creamy, healthy, easy to make and so yummy
A little walnut sauce history.
Ligurian walnut sauce started as a condiment made using a pestle and mortar. These sauces existed for hundreds of years before we had electric kitchen tools like food processors! Originally, the Genovese called their walnut sauce ‘agliata bianca’ or ‘agliata alle noci’ (walnut agliata). Agliata is a Ligurian garlic sauce that dates back to Ancient Rome. It’s made with garlic, olive oil, breadcrumbs and vinegar. You can find it served with meat and fish.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What’s the best pasta for walnut sauce?
Of course, you can use many different types of pasta in this walnut sauce recipe. But, if you want to enjoy this dish the Ligurian way, then the traditional pastas are firstly, pansotti, a type of ravioli from Genova. This stuffed pasta is typically filled with wild herbs and a fresh local cheese. However, many people make pansoti with more easily available greens such as spinach, chard, borage and endive, and ricotta. Check out my HERE
Varied doses for servings