Are you looking for a great winter pasta dinner? With some earthy flavors and lots of texture in it. This creamy walnut pasta is a hearty and comforting earthy pasta recipe to brighten up those dark and cold evenings!
So where did I get the idea again to make this walnut pasta dish one aye?
Well I got inspired to make this pasta after I saw this heap of walnuts in the supermarket. And they were on sale for a bargain. I thought I would actually make a walnut dessert with them. But in the end I turned those walnuts into a delicious and creamy flavorful pasta dish.
So what about the merguez sausage crumble?
Sausage Crumble
Well I was a bit afraid that the cooked pasta and walnut sauce would not be filling and wholesome enough.
So I thought it would be a good idea to add some kind of protein to it. That merguez sausage was in my fridge. However I just didn’t want to add the entire sausage. Or slice it up.
So I decided to just take the minced meat out of the casings and pan fry them into a crumble. And that salty spiced crumble works so well in combination with the walnut sauce.
And what about the kale?
Same reason, just to add an extra couple of vitamins to this pasta dish.
And crunch and texture as well.
Easy Walnut Pasta With Kale & Merguez
So walnuts, check.
But I also needed some extra autumn flavors as well.
In comes the crunchy kale and a tad coming of heat from the spicy merguez meat. My initial idea was to use bacon until I found some great looking fresh merguez sausage at my local supermarket.
You can also sprinkle the finished pasta with some freshly grated parm cheese if you like.
Do you love pasta with crumbled sausages?
Then you should also check out my pasta with pork and dill!
Enjoy!
Easy Walnut Pasta With Kale & Merguez Recipe
This creamy walnut pasta with sausages is a hearty and comforting earthy pasta recipe to brighten up those dark and cold evenings!
- 9 oz dry spaghetti (250 g)
- 2,5 oz walnuts (70 g), peeled
- 3,5 oz fresh kale or green cabbage (100 g)
- 1 cup cream (240 ml)
- 5,5 oz merguez sausages (155 g)
- 1 small garlic clove chopped
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- pepper
- salt
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Dry roast the walnuts in a non-stick pan (don't add any oil) for a couple of minutes over medium-high heat. Shake the pan regularly so the nuts don't burn.
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Transfer the walnuts to a clean blender and let them cool a little. Then pulse into a fine crumble.
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Put the crumble aside until needed later on. Slice the merguez sausages up and add them together with half of the unsalted butter to a medium saucepan. Gently bake the sausages for some minutes until cooked through.
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Transfer them to a clean plate and let them cool. Add the walnut crumble to the saucepan in which you cooked the sausages.
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Pour in the cream. Season with some pepper and salt.
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Bring the cream to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Then check the seasoning and add extra pepper or salt. With a stick mixer blend the cream into a silky walnut sauce.
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Fill a large pan with water, add a dash of salt to it and place it over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender.
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Add the cooked merguez sausages to the blender and pulse into a fine crumble.
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Melt the rest of the unsalted butter in a large pan and add the chopped garlic. Fry for a minute. Then add the sliced cabbage.
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Stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Keep the cabbage crunchy! Season with a pinch of pepper and salt. Then take the cabbage off the heat. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back to the pan together with the walnut sauce, the merguez crumble and the cooked cabbage.
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Stir all the ingredients well. Then check the seasoning and add extra pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Transfer the pasta onto plates (sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese if you like) and serve hot.
Loved this! So nice to have a pasta recipe sized for two. Will be coming back to this walnut/cream ration for future reference.