Pasta with Radicchio, Walnuts and Black Pepper

Meaty walnuts and pleasantly bitter radicchio balance out the rich Parmesan sauce in this weeknight friendly pasta dish featured on this week’s episode.

By Courtney HillOctober 1, 2021

Makes
4 servings
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
4

The simplicity of this pasta dish belies its deliciousness and elegance. Radicchio, a member of the chicory family, is much loved in Venice, Italy, where home cook Francesco Bernardi taught us his recipe. Chopped radicchio is browned in garlic-infused olive oil, its flavor becoming rich and complex and its texture softening slightly. The layers of pleasantly bitter notes—from the radicchio and the toasted walnuts—are perfectly balanced by the nuttiness and umami of Parmesan, the bright tang of lemon juice and the pungency of black pepper.

Tip

Don’t begin cooking the radicchio until after the pasta has been drained because the radicchio takes only a couple of minutes in the skillet. If it waits in the pan for the pasta to finish, the radicchio will lose its texture. Also, don’t stir the radicchio too often during browning so it caramelizes nicely, creating compounds that build depth of flavor.

Ingredients

⅓
cup walnuts
12
ounces penne rigate
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
2
medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
8-ounce head radicchio, bruised outer leaves removed, halved, cored and chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1
ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup), plus more to serve
2
tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2
teaspoons lemon juice

Step 1

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, toast the walnuts, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; reserve the skillet. Let the nuts cool slightly, then finely chop; set aside.

Step 2

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.

Step 3

In the same skillet over medium-high, combine the oil and garlic; cook, occasionally turning the cloves, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove and discard the garlic, then add the radicchio, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; stir to coat.

Distribute the radicchio in an even layer and cook, stirring only once or twice, until well browned and tender-crisp, 2 to 4 minutes.

Step 4

Add the pasta to the skillet and stir. Add half of the Parmesan, half of the walnuts and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water.

Reduce to medium and cook, stirring constantly and vigorously, until the pasta is lightly sauced, 1 to 3 minutes; add additional pasta water as needed if the mixture looks dry.

Step 5

Off heat, stir in the remaining Parmesan, half of the parsley and the lemon juice.