Cold Pasta with Hazelnuts and Speck

Cold pasta with hazelnuts and speck is an ideal dish for summer or a picnic lunch, where the crunchiness of the hazelnuts meets the smoky taste of speck in a delightful combination. Here is the recipe to prepare this dish:

Ingredients

• 320 g of short pasta (bows, fusilli, penne)
• 100 g of speck cut into strips
• 80 g of toasted and roughly chopped hazelnuts
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed
• Salt as needed
• Pepper as needed
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Juice of half a lemon (optional)

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and cool under running water to stop the cooking, then dress it with a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking.
2. Toast the hazelnuts in a pan without adding fats until they become slightly golden and aromatic. Let them cool and then chop them.
3. In a pan, fry the speck strips until crispy. You can add a drizzle of oil if the speck is too lean. Set aside and let cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cold pasta, cooled speck, and chopped hazelnuts. Mix everything well.
5. Add the grated Parmesan, hand-torn basil leaves (to avoid blackening them), salt, and pepper to taste. If you like, you can also add lemon juice for a touch of freshness.
6. Drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil, mix well and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Fun Facts

Toasting hazelnuts is an important step to intensify their aroma and make them even more appetizing. Make sure not to burn them during toasting, as they could impart a bitter taste to the dish. Additionally, hazelnuts are a typically Piedmontese ingredient that is paired here with speck, characteristic of the Alpine regions, creating a perfect marriage between north and south.

This cold pasta becomes even tastier if allowed to marinate for a few hours, as the ingredients have time to meld better. You can pair it with a fresh and slightly tart white wine, like a sparkling wine from Northern Italy, for a pleasant contrast with the fat of the speck and the richness of the hazelnuts. Enjoy your meal!