Sun-dried Tomato & Toasted Walnut Pasta

Ingredients

• ¼ cups Walnuts, Toasted
• ¼ cups (Packed) Sun-dried Tomatoes, In Olive Oil
• 4 leaves To 5 Leaves Fresh Basil
• ¼ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese Plus More For Serving
• 1 clove Garlic, Peeled And Roughly Chopped
• ¼ cups Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ⅛ teaspoons Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight To 12 Ounces Spaghetti Noodles
• 1 dash White Wine (I Like Pinot Grigio)
• ¼ cups Reserved Pasta Water
• Kosher Salt To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Mean while, toast the walnuts in a dry 10-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 8-10 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn.

In a mini food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, toasted walnuts, basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper. Process until thick and paste-like. Add more olive oil if it is too dry and crumbly.

Drop in the pasta and cook as directed on the package, usually 8-10 minutes on average.

Reheat the pan you toasted the walnuts in over medium heat and add in the sun-dried tomato/walnut pesto. Stir often while the pesto starts to caramelize on the bottom of the pan.

De-glaze the pan with a good splash of white wine. Use as much or as little as you would like. Stir and scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan.

Turn the heat off and, using tongs, add in the spaghetti noodles straight from the pot. Add a 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water and toss some more. Season with salt to taste.

Top with shavings of Parmesan and serve.