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Brown Butter Walnut Pesto Pasta

Brown Butter Walnut Pesto Pasta reads citrus 5.6, richness 5.3 and umami 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian main, about 22 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 5.6 · Richness 5.3 · Umami 5.1 · Sourness 5.0 · Herbaceous 4.9 · Nutty 4.9 · Salinity 4.7 · Fruity 4.5 · Allium 3.3 · Earthy 3.0 · Floral 2.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.2 · Bitterness 2.1 · Sweetness 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Heat 0.5

What's in it (10)

• thin spaghetti — 454 g
• salt — 30 g
• walnut halves — 237 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• basil — 118 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g
• garlic — 6 g
• extra-virgin olive oil — 54 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• lemon — 33 g

Time & effort: about 22 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 235 kcal, 6.1 g protein, 25.7 g fat, 9.2 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and stir in the salt; add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente, 9-11 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. While the pasta cooks, toast the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant and lightly browned in spots, 4-5 minutes; tip onto a plate to cool.
3. In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and continue cooking, swirling constantly, until the foam subsides and the milk solids turn deep amber and smell nutty, 4-6 minutes; immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop it from browning further.
4. In a food processor, combine the cooled walnuts, basil, Parmesan, garlic, half of the brown butter, and the olive oil; pulse until finely chopped but still a little textured, about 10 short pulses.
5. Just before draining the pasta, ladle out and reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water.
6. Drain the spaghetti and return it to the pot off the heat; add the walnut-basil pesto, the remaining brown butter, the lemon zest and juice, and the pepper.
7. Toss the pasta over low heat, adding the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand, 1-2 minutes.
8. Taste and season with more salt if needed, then plate and finish with extra grated Parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Burrata — Italian
• Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage — Italian
• Deconstructed Beef and Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves Skillet — Middle Eastern
• Zucchini Noodle Pesto Pasta with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes — Italian
• Harissa Chickpea Pasta with Feta — Mediterranean

Keep reading: what citrus, richness, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.