Name: Tortelloni: Burnt Walnut Pesto (Tortelloni di Ricotta al Pesto di Noci Tostate)
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 125 ml extra virgin olive oil crunchy sea salt (such as Maldon); 80 g shelled walnuts; sunflower or corn oil for frying; ½ teaspoon picked thyme leaves; grated Parmesan, to serve; 1 recipe ricotta tortelloni, or 500 g fresh filled pasta; ½ clove garlic, very thinly and evenly sliced

Preparation info

Serves
4
as a starter

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Geometry of Pasta

By Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kenedy

Published 2010

About

Ricotta and walnuts are a marriage made in heaven: a simple plate of fresh ricotta, wet walnuts and rocket, or the recipe below for darker flavours. Any shape of pasta will do…

Ingredients

1 recipe ricotta tortelloni, or 500 g fresh filled pasta
½ clove

Method

Starting from cold, fry the garlic in the oil (enough to eventually cover the walnuts) in a small pan over a medium-low heat. The garlic will sizzle for a while, then stop and turn an even golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper. Add the walnuts to the oil, and fry until they are as dark as you can get them without burning. The colour of a very tan Mediterranean skin is goo