Pasta foriana is a wonderful, but lesser-known dish that combines walnuts, pine nuts, sweet raisins and anchovies to create a beautiful meal.
Not only is this dish one of the most interesting and delicious pasta dishes, but it is quick too, going from your cupboard to your table in under 20 minutes.
Walnut and Raisin Pasta
I have an endless curiosity when it comes to food, so dishes that are a little "out of the norm", always get a fast track to my website when I stumble upon them.
Couple that with my love of nuts in savoury main course dishes, this pasta foriana dish ticks all of my boxes.
In many ways it is vaguely reminiscent of pesto alla trapanese from Sicily, which combines sun dried tomatoes with almonds and raisins.
This dish hails from further north, from the Island of Ischia off the coast of Naples. A place where walnuts rule the roost, hence their presence in this recipe.
The walnuts are joned by sweet raisins, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and anchovies. Granted it all sounds a bit "odd", but run with it, it is genius!
The resulting dish is a magical mix of deeply savoury nuttiness studded with the occasional sweet high note.
When you are scoffing this, your eyebrows rise, and the "phwoar" is not far from being audible... and it is all done and dusted in a little over 15 minutes. Give it a try, you'll love it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to add the anchovies?
No, they are a relatively common addition to classic versions of this recipe. But, they are also often omitted.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes, if you omit the anchovies and swap the Parmesan for a vegetarian hard cheese like Pecorino and you have a fantastic vegetarian pasta dish.
Can I use different types of pasta?
Yes, this sauce works with all sorts of different types of pasta, everything from penne to tagliatelle and linguine to orrechiette all work well.
Are there alternaties to pine nuts?
I get it! They are expensive, they are a delicious treat and they are traditional to this recipe.
However, if you want to save a few pennies, try this with hulled sunflower seeds, it's not quite as good, and it's certainly not traditional. But it is cheaper and absolutely delicious!
Can I make this in advance?
Technically it is possible, however you will not be saving much time. The sauce takes that same amount of time to cook as the pasta.
It is a dish best served hot/warm, so in reality, you would need to reheat the dish, which means you'll save 10 minutes at best!
Serving Suggestions
For me pasta dishes are simple plates/bowls or comfort food and their sides should reflect that.
This pasta foriana recipe is no different, I tend to serve this dish with some simple slices of garlic baguette, or cheesy garlic bread.
Incidentally, this pasta sauce is great spread onto some freshly made focaccia too!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Mini blender.
- Grater.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Colander.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Pasta alla Foriana Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 50 g Walnuts ½ Cup
- 50 g Pine Nuts ⅓ Cup
- 35 g Raisins ⅓ Cup
- 2 Anchovy Fillets
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Salt Plus extra for boiling the pasta
- 50 g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese ½ Cup
- 1 Handful Fresh Parsley
- ½ teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
- 200 g Spaghetti 7oz
Instructions
- Begin by bringing a 20cm or 8" saucepan of well-salted water to a boil (I use 2 teaspoons of water in a pan this size).
- Peel the garlic cloves and chop them as finely as you can.
- Place the walnuts and pine nuts in a mini blender and pulse them to break them up. You want a fairly coarse mix of nuts.
- When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente; this should take 8-10 minutes.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium heat. When it is hot, add the olive oil, garlic, pulsed nuts, raisins, anchovy fillets and salt, then cook until the pasta is cooked.Toss/stir every couple of minutes.
- Whilst everything is cooking, finely chop the parsley.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving around 75ml (⅓ cup) of the pasta water.
- Add the pasta, most of the parsley, Parmesan cheese (reserving a little for garnish), white wine vinegar and enough of the pasta water to form a nice emulsion.
- Serve sprinkled with the remaining cheese and parsley.