Pasta radicchio speck e noci

Pasta with radicchio, speck, and walnuts is an autumnal dish rich in flavors that balance perfectly with each other. It’s an easy and fast recipe that can bring great satisfaction to the palate.

Ingredients

• 320 g of pasta (penne or farfalle are a good choice)
• 200 g of red radicchio
• 100 g of thinly sliced speck
• 50 g of shelled walnuts
• 1 small onion
• 100 ml of cooking cream (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

1. Begin by cleaning the radicchio, removing the hard core and the outer leaves. Then cut it into not too thin strips and wash under running water.
2. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. When it has taken on color, add the speck cut into strips and let it flavor for a few minutes.
3. Add the radicchio to the pan with the onion and speck, season with salt and pepper to your taste. If you prefer a softer texture of radicchio, you can cover it with a lid and let it stew for about 5 minutes.
4. In the meantime, bring the water to a boil for the pasta and cook it according to the package instructions.
5. Lightly toast the walnuts in a non-stick pan or in the oven and then roughly chop them.
6. If you wish to make the dish creamier, you can add the cooking cream to the radicchio and speck, just before turning off the heat.
7. Drain the pasta al dente and pour it into the pan with the radicchio and speck sauce. Stir well and let the pasta get flavored for a minute or two.
8. Serve the pasta on plates, sprinkling with the chopped walnuts and, if you like, a generous grating of Parmesan cheese.

Curiosity

Radicchio is a vegetable typical of the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, particularly from Treviso which has a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status. It is also grown in winter and its slightly bitter taste is highly appreciated in Italian cuisine, both in raw preparations like salads and in cooked dishes like this pasta.