Creamy Penne Pasta With Walnuts Recipes

Steps:

• Put a large saucepan of water on to boil, and toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan until they begin to make a nutty aroma. Put the bread in a bowl and cover with the milk. Put most of the toasted walnuts (reserving about 1 ounce for garnish) into a blender along with the garlic, bread soaked in milk, and Parmesan. Blend until it turns smooth and creamy, then pour in the oil and season well with salt and pepper before blending again.
• Pour into a bowl, and set aside.
• Add pasta to boiling water with salt and cook for the required amount of time. When pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking liquid and then drain the pasta, but put it in to a large bowl while it's still dripping slightly with water. Sprinkle a little olive oil over the pasta to prevent it sticking together, and then add the walnut sauce, mixing it into the pasta (splash in a little pasta cooking liquid to make the sauce less thick if needed).
• Roughly chop the remaining walnuts and toss them over the top along with some more Parmesan and the chopped parsley.

Steps:

• Bring a large covered pot of water to a rapid boil. While the water heats, wash the spinach and transfer it to a separate large pot. The water clinging to the leaves should provide enough moisture to steam it. Cover and cook the spinach on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. Drain. In a food processor or blender, combine the spinach, walnuts, cottage cheese, garlic, Parmesan, basil, and salt and pepper until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Add pepper to taste and set aside. When the water boils, stir in the pasta, cover, and return to a boil. Then uncover the pot and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes. While the pasta cooks, cut the broccoli into spears, blanch it in boiling water to cover until just tender, about 5 minutes, and set it aside. Drain the pasta and serve immediately in individual warmed bowls, topped with spinach walnut sauce and several steamed broccoli spears. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, if you wish.

Steps:

• Bring a large covered pot of water to a rapid boil.
• While the water heats, wash the spinach and transfer it to a separate large pot.
• The water clinging to the leaves should provide enough moisture to steam it.
• Cover and cook the spinach on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, until wilted but still bright green.
• Drain.
• In a food processor or blender, combine the spinach, walnuts, cottage cheese, garlic, Parmesan, basil, and salt and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary.
• Add pepper to taste and set aside.
• When the water boils, stir in the pasta, cover, and return to a boil.
• Then uncover the pot and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes.
• While the pasta cooks, cut the broccoli into spears, blanch it in boiling water to cover until just tender, about 5 minutes, and set it aside.
• Drain the pasta and serve immediately in individual warmed bowls, topped with spinach-walnut sauce and several steamed broccoli spears.
• Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, if you wish.
• Enjoy!