Winandy Family Tagliatelle With Hazelnut Pesto

 Tagliatelle with Hazelnut Pesto is one of my favorite dishes of all time and on special occasions, we cook it. 

I learned this recipe from my grandmother. She says that it has its origins in Liguria and was first used in the Duchy of Savoy in the Renaissance. The recipe reminds me of home and brings back memories of a care-free past. 

I remember being taught how to make it in the summers I spent in Italy and I was just as fascinated by the history of the dish, as I was the actual product. Making Tagliatelle was and still is very time consuming unless you use a machine, but in the end, when you see the faces of people eating it, it is worth all the work. 

I vividly remember eating it in our house off of the little town Montelupo Albese in Italy. We still make Tagliatelle by hand because it allows us to customize the flavor of the pasta to our liking. To make it more airy, we whisk the dough until it is almost white. Knowing the effort that goes behind it makes it taste even better.

The ingredients needed are two garlic cloves, one cup of fresh basil leaves, a quarter cup of shelled hazelnut, one cup of low fat cheese, eight ounce of dried tagliatelle, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

You can buy pesto from the shelf, but I believe that it tastes better when you make it yourself. The finished product has a taste similar to pesto because of the hazelnuts and the garlic, and should taste like such. The basil acts as a base upon which the hazelnuts and garlic build upon. Generally with Tagliatelle, the texture is porous and rough, so sometimes my family substitutes the Pesto for Bolognese sauce. This meal has been passed down for generations and our ingredients are all made in northern Italy of the finest quality. For a nuttier taste, add a quarter cup of a nut of your choice. I have never met someone who has not genuinely enjoyed this meal. 

Tagliatelle Pesto is a beautiful food with rich history and an ever richer taste, from the earthy basil, to the mild Tagliatelle, each ingredient pitches in to provide a taste, I cannot fully describe what it tastes like, but tasting it will take you to the mediterranean and experience a piece in the life of the Duces of Italy.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves

1 cup of fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup of shelled hazelnut

1 cup of low fat cheese

8 ounces of dried tagliatelle

A pinch of salt

A pinch of ground black pepper

Instructions

First, place the crushed garlic, basil, hazelnuts and cheese in a blender or a food processor and process into a thick paste.

Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle in lightly salted boiling water for about 10 minutes until al dente, or 15 minutes if you would prefer a softer pasta, then drain well.

After, separate the water from the pasta and spoon the pesto into the container and toss lightly until melted.

Grind black pepper and salt onto the pasta and you’re done.