Did you know October is the National Pasta Month? What a great month to just eat all the pasta possible! Toward the beginning of the month, I had the pleasure of being in Italy and eating pasta, Italian-style. Going to Italy (for the first time ever) was such an incredible learning and eating experience.

One thing I learned about pasta: Italians don’t over-sauce their pasta. They add just enough. Another wonderful thing that learned was that pasta in Italy wasn’t super complicated— it was simple and delicious. The portions weren’t huge but the flavors were so fresh and tasty.

I like to think that I took those ideals and applied them here. This sauce is SO easy and comes together in maybe ten minutes. I also fell in love with sun-dried tomatoes because of their deep delicious flavor. This recipe has a nice added nuttiness from the walnuts. I love it!

I hope you give this pasta a try—it’s a winner of a recipe!

Sun-dried Tomato Walnut Pasta

This sun-dried tomato walnut pasta has the right combination of nuttiness and deep flavor. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes)

Ingredients

• 1 shallot, peeled and minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Salt
• 1/2 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes (drained from the jar)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 1 pound of linguine, or pasta of choice

Directions

1. To a small saucepan, set over medium heat, add a teaspoon of oil. When warm, add the shallot, garlic, dried oregano, crushed red pepper and a few pinches of salt. Cook until translucent and softened, about 3 minutes. Add the shallot mixture to the blender, along with the sun dried tomatoes, olive oil and walnuts. Pulse until very smooth. Give it a taste and adjust the salt to taste.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook per the package’s instructions, about 8 to 9 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add the drained pasta back to the pot, along with the sauce. Add the parmesan and toss until coated. Pour in the pasta water and toss one last time. Divide amongst bowls or plates and top with more grated parmesan cheese.

Yield: Serves 4

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.