Walnut 'butter' for pasta?

[linguafood]

I like pasta, and I like walnuts. I'd like to experiment and combine the two... has anyone ever made their own walnut butter (not just a paste)?

I was thinking of just tossing the pasta with the butter and adding garlic and ... x. Not sure what other ingredients -- maybe you have a suggestion for that, too.

mmmm. walnuts.

thanks :-D

[maxie]

Here's a walnut pesto you might enjoy. http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/...

You can work the pounded walnuts and herbs into a butter if that is more desirable.

[linguafood]

Wow-zah! That sounds absolutely delish. I don't eat pasta regularly anymore (wah!), but this sounds totally splurge-worthy!!! I will make this soon and report back. If I can remember, that is.

[HillJ]

great choice and a farro pasta with that nut kick that Heidi recommends really ups the nut factor.

[Kholvaitar]

Here's a recommended Lenten dish--

Pasta with Walnut-Raisin Sauce

http://www.gastronomersguide.com/2011...

[linguafood]

Whoa, blast from the past! I don't even remember posting this, nor do I recall whether I went ahead and made anything like it.

I can't really see raisins in my savory pasta, but thanks :-)

[paulj]

There are probably a number of recipes on line for walnut 'pestos' - that is, the nuts ground up with one more herbs, garlic, etc.

A book of '500 Italian' (Hermes House) recipes has one for fusilli with walnuts.
The walnuts are toasted, skins rubbed off, and chopped. Then a sauce is made with butter, milk, breadcrumbs and the walnuts, P cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

The same book as a walnut 'pesto', using walnuts, breadcrumbs, oil, parsley, plus butter and cream.

paulj

[Mawrter]

I haven't made walnut butter, but it sounds dang good. I am slightly confused, though: Did you mean walnuts with butter made form cow's milk, or did you mean just mashed walnuts and maybe walnut oil to get a buttery texture? Either way, it sounds great.

Walnuts go well with peas, beets, goat cheese, parsley...

[linguafood]

No cow butter added. Just think peanut butter (yeah, I know, it's not a nut) but substitute walnuts.

To paulj -- I've made a pistachio-parsley-pecorino pesto before (if only to "say it AND spray it" '-P), but I was thinking really more of a peanut butter-ish consistency to coat the pasta, and adding some other ingredients.

I think some shaved parmesan would work, but I wouldn't want to add blue or goat as I think it would be too rich. Something to cut through that -- beets sound great, but the man hates them.

Of course, I could just stick to the walnut 'butter', garlic & shaved parm, and have a citrus-y salad on the side (just won a fruit basket full of ruby red...).