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Penne with Walnut Cream, Baby Artichokes, and Speck

17/11/2023

I will describe how to prepare delicious Penne with Walnut Cream, Baby Artichokes, and Speck. Before you start, make sure you have all the ingredients at hand.

Ingredients

  • 320 g of penne rigate
  • 200 g of shelled walnuts
  • 100 g of speck in thin slices
  • 150 g of oil-packed baby artichokes
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 100 ml of cooking cream
  • grated Parmesan cheese to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. First, bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, prepare the walnut cream by placing the walnuts in a mixer or blender, adding a bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend until you obtain a smooth cream, helping yourself with a tablespoon of the pasta cooking water if necessary to reach the desired consistency.

  2. Heat a stream of oil with a garlic clove in a pan and, once golden, add the speck slices cut into strips. Let it sauté over medium heat for a few minutes until they become crispy.

  3. Add the baby artichokes cut into pieces to the pan with the speck and let them flavor for a few minutes.

  4. Cook the penne rigate following the instructions on the package for al dente. Drain the pasta and save some of the cooking water.

  5. Remove the garlic clove from the pan and add the walnut cream to the pasta with the speck and baby artichokes. If necessary, add some of the cooking water you set aside to make the sauce more fluid.

  6. Incorporate the cooking cream and let everything combine over low heat for a couple of minutes. Adjust with salt if necessary.

  7. Add the penne to the pan with the sauce and mix well to flavor them and cover with the cream.

  8. Serve and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and a grind of fresh black pepper.

Curiosities

Walnut cream is a versatile sauce in Italian cuisine and pairs well with many types of pasta. It is often used in autumn and winter dishes for its rich and comforting flavor. Speck, a type of smoked raw ham typical of Trentino-Alto Adige, adds a note of savoriness and smokiness that balances the creaminess of the walnut sauce and the sweetness of the baby artichokes.

Penne with Walnut Cream, Baby Artichokes, and Speck