This asparagus and walnut spaghetti is super flavorful and adds lots of nutrients to our diet.
Central Italy, in particular the Appenini mountains, may be the place where this asparagus and walnut spaghetti was born. In the rich woods along the Appenino mountains walnuts are widely available as well as wild asparagus.People living in the area have used the ingredients available to make an incredibly delicate and tasty pasta.
This recipe is simple and yet delicious and can be made in less than 30minutes. To make this pasta even tastier and creamier, you can blend some of the asparagus with the walnuts to make a pesto. You can make it chunkier or creamier depending on your taste.
Asparagus and walnut spaghetti: health facts
Asparagus
These green stalks are a real powerhouse for our health. They provide not only good fibers but also vitamins and other nutrients that are helpful in fighting depression and mental health issues. Asparagus are helpful for reducing blood pressure and improving digestion. They are rich in:
Folate (Vitamin B9) – important for cell growth and DNA formation
Vitamin K – an essential nutrient to prevent blood clotting and help bone health
Fiber – asparagus are a good prebiotic food, rich in fibers they help keep our microbiome diverse and healthy
Antioxidants – to slow down aging and prevent diseases
Asparagine – an amino acid that supports the health of our nervous system.
Walnuts
As all nuts, walnuts are known for their health benefits. The good fats are heart healthy and they too contain a lot of fibers. Walnuts, as asparagus, are also good in lowering blood pressure. They are rich in:
Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) – fats that are crucial for our heart and brain health
Protein and fiber – help with satiety and are great for our guts
Vitamin E, B6, magnesium, copper – nutrients that help our metabolism and strengthen our immune system
Antioxidants – those contained in nuts are particularly helpful for our skin.
How to clean asparagus
It’s hard to tell by eye where the stem of the asparagus is tender, so the better way to remove the hard part is to snap it. Take the tip of the asparagus with one hand and with the other grab the hard end. Snap it with a firm gesture. It will broke at the exact point where the fibers are tender. Do not throw away the hard stems. You can make a broth for risotto with them, or for a soup.
The tips of the asparagus are very delicate and you can actually add them raw to your dish. I usually cook the bottom stems and add the top only at the end of the recipe.
Keyword asparagus and walnut pasta, asparagus pasta, spaghetti with walnuts
Ingredients
400grasparagus
100grwalnuts
400grspaghetti
1gralic clove
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
grated pecorino cheese and parsley to garnish
Instructions
Boil the spaghetti following my basic recipe on how to boil spaghetti and other pasta.
While the spaghetti are cooking, clean and cut the asparagus into roundels. Keep the top end aside. Put a large pane on low heat, add the oil and the whole garlic (you can add some chili flakes if you like). To give the oil some extra flavor, add some parsley stems. Let it cook for a minute then add the asparagus.
Add some salt to the asparagus and cook for 5 minutes, remove a couple of spoons of asparagus and blend it with some of the pasta cooking water to make a cream. Add the nuts and cook for another 2/3 minutes.
Remove the garlic clove, add the asparagus cream and mix. Then, before straining the pasta, reserve some of the pasta water in a cup.
Add the asparagus tips to the pan and then the spaghetti. Stir fry for a minute or two. Add the pecorino and some parsley to garnish and serve. For extra flavor, you can add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.
Interested in other simple pasta recipes? try one of these:
