Creamy Walnut Pesto Cascatelli
Cook Time: 15 MINUTES
Serves: 2 PEOPLE
INGREDIENTS: 8
Ingredients
- 1 box Banza Cascatelli
- 1½ cups tightly packed basil leaves, plus additional for garnish
- ½ cup tightly packed kale leaves, stems removed
- ¼ cup walnuts, plus extra for garnish
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
- ¼ cup whole milk ricotta or mascarpone
- Juice of 1 lemon
Directions
- Blanch Greens: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. Add basil and kale leaves, and cook for 10 seconds, or until bright green in color. Remove with tongs or a strainer, reserving water for next step. Rinse under cold water until cool, then squeeze out excess water.
- Cook Banza: Add Banza Cascatelli to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Strain pasta with cold water and set aside.
- Make Pesto: While pasta cooks, in a blender pulse walnuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add blanched greens and olive oil and puree until completely smooth. Then, add lemon juice and parmesan. Blend until combined. Add ricotta and continue to blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- Finish Pasta: In a large bowl, combine pasta and pesto and toss until pasta is coated. Garnish with grated parmesan and extra walnuts.
Tips
• Note: this is meant to be served cold.
• Not into walnuts? Sub almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds—or a mixture of several varieties.
