This sounds/reads so delicious!!! Wonderful. Will try this week. Presumably it could be a pre-Christmas fasting dish...walnuts play such an important role in the fasting dishes of the Orthodox Christians in Georgia and Armenia...and I assume elsewhere too.
Yes, i think that might well be the origins of the dish. Of course modern Italians don’t seem to fast even during Lent. But the dish may have ancient antecedents. It’s said that the Ancient Romans had a real appreciation for Sorrento walnuts. No pasta back then but the sauce might be very tasty spread on a toasted flatbread. Ancient Gentleman’s Relish?
Buon anno Nancy! We discovered the walnuts of Sorrento a few years ago while staying in Rome...they are wonderful and now each time we are there we make a bee-line to pick some up for snacking on. There's another pasta preparation that has nuts among other things that I've been making called ’O sicchje ra munnezza that's been on my mind lately. We went to 'E Curti a couple of years ago to see what all the talk was about! Best wishes for 2026!
Delicious AND healthy--two words that don't usually go together over the holidays. Thank you Nancy for an inspiring recipe that I look forward to trying.
This recipe looks delicious Nancy and so easy to make. I am with you about anchovies...they make most things better! I always appreciate the history and knowledge you impart in your writing and come away learning something new from you. Thank you and Happy Holidays!
What a delicious and seasonally perfect post. I was ignorant of Sorrento walnuts. And yes to "...a couple of anchovy fillets crushed into the basic sauce..." broccoli is one of so many examples. And just the right wine varietals and producers.
ichthyophobes - that is a word to treasure- it has a bit of curmudgeon or grinch in just the way it sounds. I never could understand avoiding a whole ocean as a food group (though so many do) with so many diverse options to taste. Find them appealing to eat...or not. This walnut pasta is a recipe to tuck away. It reminds me how the Italians can take the simplest of ingredients and make something so soul-satisfying. The walnut photos are just gorgeous!
Oh wow. I love pasta :) and I think I will try this one. Thanks for sharing.
I believe walnuts work best when they’re treated less like a garnish and more like a quiet anchor in a meal. Lately, I’ve been chopping a small handful and adding them to warm oatmeal or even tossing them into a simple salad when I need something grounding.
The texture slows me down, makes me chew, makes me notice. It’s a small thing, but it changes how the food lands in my body and in my day.
I’ve been reflecting on this in my own writing, how nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated to be wise.
I share my recent post below and I hope it can inspire somebody.
This sounds/reads so delicious!!! Wonderful. Will try this week. Presumably it could be a pre-Christmas fasting dish...walnuts play such an important role in the fasting dishes of the Orthodox Christians in Georgia and Armenia...and I assume elsewhere too.
Thank-you!
Yes, i think that might well be the origins of the dish. Of course modern Italians don’t seem to fast even during Lent. But the dish may have ancient antecedents. It’s said that the Ancient Romans had a real appreciation for Sorrento walnuts. No pasta back then but the sauce might be very tasty spread on a toasted flatbread. Ancient Gentleman’s Relish?
Sounds fabulous I will definitely try it
Happy Delicious Holidays to you ❤️
So different from how we make walnut pasta sauce in the north here with panna. This is a must try for the anchovy fanatic - me!
Buon anno Nancy! We discovered the walnuts of Sorrento a few years ago while staying in Rome...they are wonderful and now each time we are there we make a bee-line to pick some up for snacking on. There's another pasta preparation that has nuts among other things that I've been making called ’O sicchje ra munnezza that's been on my mind lately. We went to 'E Curti a couple of years ago to see what all the talk was about! Best wishes for 2026!
Cooked it last night. Beautiful combination of flavours and textures. Thank you for posting the recipe and the context to it.
This is just the pasta dish I have been craving and didn’t even know it! Thank you Nancy for the New Year offering.
This sounds delicious! I make pasta with anchovies pretty regularly but the addition of the walnuts and extra garlic will raise it to another level!
Making it for family dinner tomorrow! Kids won’t eat it, of course, but adults will love it. Vasilopita with hidden coin for dessert!
beautiful!! so festive! xo
I thank you for the recipe, which I will not make--but thanks all the same
What an odd response
Denise, Heather is an old friend, much loved but not for her culinary skills. Still she’s a great dinner companion.
Delicious AND healthy--two words that don't usually go together over the holidays. Thank you Nancy for an inspiring recipe that I look forward to trying.
This recipe looks delicious Nancy and so easy to make. I am with you about anchovies...they make most things better! I always appreciate the history and knowledge you impart in your writing and come away learning something new from you. Thank you and Happy Holidays!
What a delicious and seasonally perfect post. I was ignorant of Sorrento walnuts. And yes to "...a couple of anchovy fillets crushed into the basic sauce..." broccoli is one of so many examples. And just the right wine varietals and producers.
Yum!
ichthyophobes - that is a word to treasure- it has a bit of curmudgeon or grinch in just the way it sounds. I never could understand avoiding a whole ocean as a food group (though so many do) with so many diverse options to taste. Find them appealing to eat...or not. This walnut pasta is a recipe to tuck away. It reminds me how the Italians can take the simplest of ingredients and make something so soul-satisfying. The walnut photos are just gorgeous!
Sounds really interesting Nancy. Love the idea of walnuts and pasta..... Hope to cross paths sometime soon. :)
Nancy, the addition of breadcrumbs reminds me of my travels throughout Sicily. Fantastic recipe 👌. Thank you !
Oh wow. I love pasta :) and I think I will try this one. Thanks for sharing.
I believe walnuts work best when they’re treated less like a garnish and more like a quiet anchor in a meal. Lately, I’ve been chopping a small handful and adding them to warm oatmeal or even tossing them into a simple salad when I need something grounding.
The texture slows me down, makes me chew, makes me notice. It’s a small thing, but it changes how the food lands in my body and in my day.
I’ve been reflecting on this in my own writing, how nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated to be wise.
I share my recent post below and I hope it can inspire somebody.
https://wisdomlibrary.substack.com/p/raspberry-walnut-breakfast-bowl-matcha-benefits?r=2r3u84