Hazelnut pasta: An autumn treat for pasta lovers
As the leaves change color and the temperatures drop, our appetites often shift automatically towards warming and earthy flavors. Alongside the classic vegetables of the cooler months, nuts now come into focus. They fall ripe from the trees and provide a fantastic base for savory dishes like this hazelnut pasta.
- 400g pasta (for example, Spirelli)
- Salt
- 150 g hazelnuts
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100 ml vegetable broth
- 250 ml Stage
- 50g grated Parmesan cheese (plus a little extra for sprinkling)
- Pepper (to taste)
- Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to the package instructions until al dente.
- Roast 50 grams of hazelnuts in a pan without oil until golden brown, then roughly chop them.
- Place the remaining hazelnuts in a food processor 🛒 or blender and grind them thoroughly.
- Peel the onion and garlic and chop both finely.
- Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
- Add the ground hazelnuts to the pan, deglaze with vegetable broth and stir in the cream.
- Let the sauce simmer briefly over medium heat and stir in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper once the cheese has melted.
- Drain the pasta and mix it with the sauce in the pan.
- Then divide the pasta onto plates and serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and roasted hazelnuts.
Hazelnut pasta: A pasta dish with an autumnal twist
A good pasta sauce thrives on the balance of its components. Here, cream and freshly grated Parmesan form the rich base. The real star, however, is the hazelnut. Onions and garlic provide the necessary seasoning and create an aromatic foundation. A splash of broth adds the required depth and elegantly balances the richness of the cream.
The process for this hazelnut pasta is straightforward. While the pasta cooks in salted water, you prepare the sauce. Toast the hazelnuts. As soon as they begin to smell fragrant, remove them from the heat. Grind some of them into a fine flour in a food processor, and set the rest aside for a crunchy topping. Add the ground hazelnuts to the pan along with the softened onions and garlic. The heat will allow the sauce to simmer gently and thicken.
Finally, stir in the grated Parmesan. The cheese melts in the warm cream, giving the dish a delicate, savory flavor. Now gently fold in the al dente cooked pasta. Here's where a classic kitchen trick comes in. Before draining the pasta, be sure to reserve a cup of the cooking water. The starch it contains acts as an excellent thickener. If your hazelnut sauce is a little too thick, simply add the reserved starchy water a little at a time. Enjoy!
