This uncooked dressing, enriched with ricotta and butter, is delicious and quite different from the herb-based pestos I’ve found in other regions. You can blend it together in a bowl while the pasta water is heating up and have a distinctive pasta appetizer or main course in minutes. To retain its vibrant, fresh flavors, it is important not to cook the pesto, just toss it with the tagliatelle and serve.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 as main course
Ingredients
FOR THE PESTO
FOR THE PASTA
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
Preparation
Step 1
Heat a large pot of well-salted water to the boil while you are preparing the pesto.
Step 2
Put the walnuts and garlic in the food processor, and pulse until the nuts are chopped into very tiny bits (but don’t grind them to a powder). Scrape the ground nut-garlic mixture into the large bowl, and stir in the ricotta, olive oil, grated cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper, until thoroughly blended.
Step 3
When the pesto is ready and the water is boiling, shake the nests of tagliatelle in a colander or strainer to remove excess flour. Drop all the pasta into the pot at once, and stir to loosen and separate the strands. Cover the pot, and over high heat return the water to a boil rapidly. Set the cover ajar, and cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 4 minutes (or more, depending on thickness), until the tagliatelle are perfectly al dente—in this dish, the pasta does not cook further when tossed with the pesto.
Step 4
Working quickly, lift out the tagliatelle with a spider and tongs, and drop into the bowl with the dressing. Drop the soft butter in dollops on the hot pasta, and toss until all the strands are nicely coated with the pesto—if the dressing is too thick, loosen it with a bit of hot water from the pasta pot as you toss.
Step 5
Serve immediately in warm bowls, with more grated cheese at the table.
