Serves4 to 6 (main course)
- Active time:30 min
- Start to finish:45 min
Basil pesto has a strong floral quality—this one, made of pecans and arugula, is richer, with a peppery bite. Prepare an extra batch to use as a spread on turkey sandwiches.
November 2002
-
3/4
cup
pecans (3 oz), toasted
-
1
large garlic clove
-
1/2
teaspoon
salt
-
10
oz
arugula, coarse stems discarded
-
1/2
cup
finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 1/2 oz)
-
1/2
cup
olive oil
-
1/2
teaspoon
black pepper
-
1
lb
dried linguine
Make oil:
-
Finely chop 1/4 cup pecans (preferably with a knife).
-
Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large heavy knife). Blend remaining 1/2cup pecans, arugula, cheese, oil, pepper, and garlic paste in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute.
-
Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water. Drain pasta in a colander, then return to pot and toss with pesto, 1/2 cup cooking water, and chopped pecans, adding more cooking water as necessary if pasta seems dry.
Cooks’ notes:- You can substitute 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley for the arugula, but then you should use only 1/3 cup olive oil (instead of 1/2 cup) in the pesto.
