Give Your Next Bowl Of Pasta A Burst Of Nutty Richness With Hazelnut Cream
If you're a nut lover, you might already be sprinkling your salads, pastas, and soups with the crunchy, earthy flavors of almonds and walnuts. It's time to branch out to an often overlooked member of the nut family: hazelnuts. These round, crisp nuts have a deep buttery taste with just a slight edge of bitterness, like chocolate or coffee. Their savory punch adds great balance and toasty notes that are perfect for creamy, cheesy recipes like this hazelnut cream pasta recipe from Tasting Table recipe developer Miriam Hahn.
All types of pasta make wonderful starchy background palettes for showcasing rich, salty cheeses and other intense flavors like hazelnuts. Nuts and pasta are a classic combination in general because the pasta allows the pungency of the nut to shine, and the nuts add crunch and interest. This pasta recipe has the best of all worlds, with a hint of melted creamy Parmesan to cling to the pasta and the biting contrast of crisp hazelnuts.
Read more: 44 Types Of Pasta And When You Should Be Using Them
Hazelnut Cream Pasta Is A Weeknight Win
You might think that this flavorful pasta recipe is just a special event dish, and although that's not wrong -– it would make an elevated plate for a celebration -– the recipe is so fast to put together that it's practical for a weeknight treat. Most dried pasta cooks in 8 to 12 minutes, so if you put the water on to boil while you make the easy pan sauce, you can be at the table in under 30 minutes. It's worth noting that when you plan to toss cooked pasta in a pan sauce, straining it just before it reaches the al dente point helps get the perfect texture after the pasta finishes in that pan of sauce.
Our recipe has a very short list of ingredients, just the cheese, cream, hazelnuts, butter, and a squeeze of lemon plus zest for acid balance, but you should feel free to personalize the dish with a bit of garlic for more zing. The recipe calls for parsley on top to add a touch of color, but you could try a handful of basil or spinach as well. The hazelnut cream pasta can be served as is, or you could top it with a roasted chicken breast or a slice of pan-seared firm tofu for additional protein. Either way, the crunch and savor of hazelnuts are guaranteed to brighten this fast and simple-to-make recipe.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
