Walnut and Mint Linguine

Photographer: Kate
serves 6

While travelling around Southern Italy earlier this year, I reconnected with many things – the sun (we had a particularly average summer in Dunedin this year), reading books (made from paper! With wine in one hand, feet up – time to relax!), incredible architecture and design, and….pasta! Somehow – and I can’t help feeling a little uneasy about this fact – for almost a year, pasta was missing from my life. How…? … Well… I think I just went a through a phase of eating it too often, which was replaced by a phase of abstaining, and now I’m right back into eating it. All. The. Time. Pattern of behaviour emerging here?

This simple wee recipe is a perfect winter pasta dish – bursting with freshness from loads of mint and parsley, and with that delicious, deep nutty flavour from the toasted walnuts.

INGREDIENTS


1 cup walnut pieces
2 cups grated parmesan (loosely packed)
1 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
300g linguine
5 tbsp butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

METHOD


Preheat oven to 180 C on Bake.
1. Lay walnuts out on a baking tray and lightly roast for 10-12 minutes.
2. Cool, then chop roughly and combine with parmesan and fresh herbs.
3. Bring a large bot of well-salted water to the boil.
4. Cook pasta until al dente. While pasta is cooking, melt butter.
5. Drain cooked pasta and return to the warm pot, add butter and toss well to coat. Season.
6. Add walnut, parmesan and herb mix, toss to combine.
7. Serve immediately in warm bowls.