Hello, readers! This month’s recipe comes from my friend Giovanni Fabiano of Il Borgo Reali, a famous restaurant in Queens, New York. Giovanni, an expert pizza maker, runs this restaurant with his brother Pasquale, and Giovanni’s wife and daughter also work there. Giovanni came to the States when he was 13, and pizza is his life! You can’t get into his restaurant without a reservation, and the Spaghetti With Walnut Sauce is one of the reasons. Try this recipe out for yourself. I think you will enjoy it and will probably want to put it on your own menu. You won’t be sorry! Mangia!

 

Ingredients:

1 c. walnuts, pieces or halves

3 tbsp. plain bread crumbs

3 tbsp. olive or walnut oil

3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves

¼ c. butter (room temperature)

2 tbsp. cream

14 oz. whole wheat pasta

4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Drop the walnuts into a small pan of boiling water and cook for a minute or two. Drain, remove the skins and dry with a paper towel. Coarsely chop the walnuts and set aside about ¼ of them. Place the remaining nuts, along with the bread crumbs, oil, parsley and garlic, in a food processor or a blender to form a paste. Remove the paste and pour it into a bowl. Stir in the softened butter, cream, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente separately in a large pan. Once the pasta is done, drain it and toss it with the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and Parmesan cheese on top.