Bowties with Pistachio Nuts
This fun to put together pasta dish is ready in just a few minutes. And the bonus is it has a lot going on in the flavor department, texture, a little heat and comforting pasta. What’s not to like?
Serves8
CostInexpensive
Total TimeUnder 30 minutes
Recipe CourseMain Course
MealDinner
Type of DishPasta
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 cup shelled natural pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra)
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or red pepper paste
- Fine sea salt
- Grinding fresh ground black pepper
- 1-pound bowties (aka farfalle)
- 2/3 cup grated Pecorino cheese
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large sauté’ pan. Add onion and cook until soft but not brown; stir in nuts and cook 1 minute.
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Turn off the heat and stir in the red pepper flakes or paste. Add a little more olive oil if the pan seems dry. Cover and keep warm.
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Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt and add the butterflies. Cook until al dente, meaning when a piece of pasta is broken in half, no white flour is visible.
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Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and transfer the butterflies to the sauté’ pan. Reheat slowly, stir in the reserved water and mixing the ingredients well. Stir in the cheese, then transfer to a shallow platter and serve immediately.
