Pasta with Mushroom Walnut Pesto

Grind walnuts in a food processor until chopped but not over-processed (avoid mincing or forming a paste). Remove the walnuts, and set aside.

Remove the stems from the brown button mushrooms and discard. Either wipe down the mushroom caps with a damp towel to remove dirt, or quickly rinse under cold water, and wipe dry. Break apart mushroom caps with your hands and in batches, pulse the mushroom caps in the same food processor until they are chopped and a similar texture to the processed walnuts. Set aside.

Bring a medium to large pot of salted water to boil. For every 4 cups of water, add 1 Tbsp of salt.

Once boiling, add 8 oz pasta to the water and stir to ensure all of the pasta is submerged. Use the manufacturer’s directions to cook al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large pan heat olive oil. Once hot, add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. The mushrooms will start to lose their liquid, and once the liquid evaporates, the mushrooms will start to fry. Add the minced garlic, gently crushed dried rosemary, dried oregano, crumbled walnuts, tahini and salt, along with ½ cup of pasta water. Stir to combine, and simmer for another 2 minutes to cook garlic.

Remove your mushroom pesto from heat and set aside waiting for the pasta.

When the pasta is cooked al dente, transfer it directly to the large pan with mushroom pesto using tongs or a strainer. Bring the mushroom pesto and cooked pasta back up to a simmer, stirring to incorporate. The more you mix and fold the ingredients together, the creamier texture you’ll get.