Nici Wickes: Walnut pesto spaghetti

Photo / Todd Eyre

Living alone in a small seaside community, food writer Nici Wickes found her happy place. In her new cookbook, A Quiet Kitchen, she shares how her love of food and cooking has shaped her contentment and shares simple yet delicious dishes that can fill a soul, sole or otherwise, with moments of satisfaction and pure pleasure. Of this dish she says: "This walnut pesto makes a great change from tomato-based sauces for pasta. It's packed full of omega-3 fats (the good ones!) from the walnuts and overflows with deliciousness."

Ingredients

65g	dried pasta, eg spaghetti, penne, shells
¼ cup	shelled walnuts (even better if toasted first), plus extra to garnish
¼ cup	grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
1 small clove	garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ cup	chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
¼ tsp	salt
2 Tbsp	lemon juice, plus extra to serve
¼ cup	olive oil

Directions

1. Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water for about 12 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the starchy cooking water before you drain it.
2. Make the pesto in a food processor by pulsing together the walnuts, parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt and lemon juice. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil until you have a thick sauce. Loosen it further with the pasta water.
3. Toss pasta with pesto and serve, topped with parmesan, parsley, walnuts and a squeeze of lemon juice.

A Quiet Kitchen by Nici Wickes, photography by Todd Eyre, published by Bateman Books, RRP$45