Chihlidog
03-10-2009, 03:32 PM
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Sometimes tradition needs a little shaking up, so in this dish we’ve combined parsley, black olives, walnuts, and goat cheese (ingredients more common in French cooking than Italian) to make a quick and tangy variation of classic pesto. Whole-wheat fusilli adds heartiness and a little fiber.
What to buy: Whole-wheat pasta lends a nutty undertone to this dish but you could also use the more common egg pasta.
INGREDIENTS
* 2 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves (about 1 large bunch)
* 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
* 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) chèvre (fresh goat cheese)
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives, such as kalamata
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 1 pound dried whole-wheat fusilli
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Place parsley, walnuts, chèvre, olives, pepper, and a generous pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are coarsely chopped and mixed together. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream.
2. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining in a colander; immediately return pasta to the empty pot.
3. Add pesto and toss to combine. Stir in the reserved pasta water to create a creamier sauce. Taste and, if necessary, adjust seasoning; serve immediately.
Sometimes tradition needs a little shaking up, so in this dish we’ve combined parsley, black olives, walnuts, and goat cheese (ingredients more common in French cooking than Italian) to make a quick and tangy variation of classic pesto. Whole-wheat fusilli adds heartiness and a little fiber.
What to buy: Whole-wheat pasta lends a nutty undertone to this dish but you could also use the more common egg pasta.
INGREDIENTS
* 2 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves (about 1 large bunch)
* 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
* 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) chèvre (fresh goat cheese)
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives, such as kalamata
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 1 pound dried whole-wheat fusilli
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Place parsley, walnuts, chèvre, olives, pepper, and a generous pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are coarsely chopped and mixed together. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream.
2. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining in a colander; immediately return pasta to the empty pot.
3. Add pesto and toss to combine. Stir in the reserved pasta water to create a creamier sauce. Taste and, if necessary, adjust seasoning; serve immediately.