I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m on a mission to make all of Molly Baz’s pasta recipes. In fact, I tackled one of her latest creations – red pesto rigatoni – last Sunday and gladly had it for lunch and dinner several times this week.
If you’re in search of a simple yet stunning dish, look no further. Pasta with red pesto is quick to prepare and calls for just a handful of ingredients, many of which you likely have on hand. And the finished product is amazing – rich, silky and luxurious.
The technique is easy: Heat some olive oil, walnuts, anchovies and garlic in a small sauce pan; add a little tomato paste and cook it for a minute; transfer the mixture, along with a few more items, to a food processor and purée until smooth. Finish the dish by tossing the sauce with a pat of butter and hot pasta. Then dig in!
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup walnuts
- 4 anchovy fillets in oil, removed from oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Fresno chiles, stems and seeds removed and cut into ½" pieces
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 12 ounces lumache or other short pasta
- dried chili flakes (optional, for garnish)
- In a small sauce pan, combine the olive oil, walnuts, anchovies and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until walnuts and garlic are fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Combine the olive oil mixture, Parmesan cheese, chiles, lemon juice and salt in a food processor. Purée until smooth.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add ⅓ cup reserved cooking liquid, butter and pesto to pasta and stir vigorously until combined. If necessary, add more reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Season with additional salt to taste. Top with chili flakes, if using.
