💡 At a Glance
- •The Dish: Vegetarian spaghetti tossed in a rich, creamy pesto made with walnuts, Parmesan, and tomato paste.
- •Time Needed: A super quick and easy recipe that’s perfect for meal prep or making ahead.
- •How It’s Made: The pasta and pesto come together effortlessly right in your Thermomix®.
Spaghetti with Walnut Pesto is pure pasta comfort food, proving once again that the absolute best recipes are quick and simple.
The creamy pesto gives the spaghetti an amazingly rich, nutty flavor, making this quick meal ideal for a vegetarian starter or a light weeknight dinner.
Whether you need a fast lunch or are planning a cozy Italian pasta night with friends, this classic dish is guaranteed to be a hit.
In my simple, step-by-step recipe, I’ll show you just how easy it is to whip up this crazy delicious Spaghetti with Walnut Pesto right in your Thermomix® in no time at all!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Super quick and easy to make.
- Works great as a starter or a full main course.
- Seriously delicious and a total crowd-pleaser for the whole family.
- Perfect for a cozy pasta night with friends.
- 100% vegetarian.
- Great for meal prep and making ahead.
My Top Recipe Tips
Top it off with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor!
Feel free to swap out the tomato paste in the pesto for red pepper paste, Sambal Oelek, or Ajvar if you want to switch things up.
Can I Make This Ahead of Time and Store It?
Yes! You can easily make the walnut pesto in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
I definitely recommend cooking the spaghetti fresh right before serving—it tastes best when tossed hot with the pesto!
Any leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 or 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pesto
Ingredients for Walnut Pesto Spaghetti
- 8 to 16 oz (250–500 g) spaghetti
- For the pesto:
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup (50 g) walnut halves
- ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese, cubed or roughly chopped
- 60 g tomato paste
- 1 tsp hot paprika
- 30 g olive oil
- 200 g reserved pasta water
- Salt and pepper
Note: You’ll find the exact measurements and step-by-step instructions down in the recipe card below.
How to Make Walnut Pesto Spaghetti
Instructions:
First up, let’s cook the pasta: For 250 g of pasta, add 1,200 g of water to the mixing bowl and bring to a boil for 10 min / 100°C / speed 1.
If you’re making 500 g of pasta, bump the water up to 1,500 g and extend the boiling time to 14 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, add the salt and spaghetti through the lid opening into the mixing bowl.
Set the time according to the pasta package instructions. Cook at 100°C / Reverse / speed 1.
Note: At first, the spaghetti will stick out of the opening, but as it softens, it’ll slide right down into the mixing bowl. Once that happens, place the simmering basket on top of the lid to act as a splash guard.
Pro Tip: If you see foam bubbling up through the lid opening while cooking, adding a tablespoon of olive oil will fix it right up!
Meanwhile, shell the walnuts. Peel the garlic cloves and chop the Parmesan cheese into rough chunks.
Drain the pasta once it’s done, making sure to reserve that liquid gold (the pasta water!). Keep the cooked pasta warm.
For the pesto, add the walnuts, Parmesan, and garlic cloves to the mixing bowl. Chop for 10 sec / Speed 7.
Next, add the tomato paste, paprika, olive oil, 200 g of the reserved pasta water, plus a pinch of salt and pepper to the mixing bowl. Blend for 20 sec / Speed 7.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your spatula, then give it a quick taste test and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
Toss the pesto with the warm pasta, garnish with fresh basil, and serve!
Enjoy!
Note: You’ll find the exact ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions in the printable recipe card below.
The listed prep and cook times are averages.
Happy cooking!
If you loved my quick recipe for Spaghetti with Walnut Pesto, you might also love my recipe for delicious Penne all’Arrabbiata! 🙂
Happy cooking,
Christoph
P.S. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Follow along on Pinterest or Instagram ❣
Did you try this recipe?
If you enjoyed it, please leave me a comment below and give it a 5-star rating! 🙂
Spaghetti with Walnut Pesto
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Zutaten
- 250-500 g Spaghetti
For the pesto:
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 50 g Walnuts
- 50 g Parmesan cheese cut into chunks
- 60 g Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Hot paprika
- 30 g Olive oil
- 200 g Reserved pasta water
- Salt and black pepper
Zubereitung
- First, let’s get that pasta cooked! For 250 g of pasta, add 1,200 g water to the mixing bowl and bring to a boil for 10 min / 100° C / speed 1. If you’re cooking 500 g of pasta, increase the water to 1,500 g and extend the boiling time to 14 min.
- Once the time is up, add the salt and spaghetti through the lid opening into the mixing bowl.
- Set the cook time according to the package directions. Cook at 100° C / Reverse mode / speed 1.
- In the meantime, shell the walnuts. Peel the garlic cloves and cut the Parmesan cheese into rough chunks.
- Drain the cooked pasta, making sure to reserve that liquid-gold pasta water, and keep the pasta warm.
- To make the pesto, add the walnuts, Parmesan, and garlic cloves to the mixing bowl. Chop for 10 sec / speed 7.
- Next, add the tomato paste, hot paprika, olive oil, 200 g of the reserved pasta water, salt, and pepper to the mixing bowl and blend for 20 sec / speed 7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and season with extra salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Toss the pesto over the warm pasta and serve garnished with fresh basil.
Notes
- You can sprinkle a little extra grated Parmesan on top right before serving.
- Feel free to swap out the tomato paste in the pesto for red pepper paste, sambal oelek, or ajvar!
Spaghetti with Walnut Pesto
Click stars to rate now
Zutaten
- 250-500 g Spaghetti
For the pesto:
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 50 g Walnuts
- 50 g Parmesan cheese cut into chunks
- 60 g Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Hot paprika
- 30 g Olive oil
- 200 g Reserved pasta water
- Salt and black pepper
Zubereitung
- First, let's get that pasta cooked! For 250 g of pasta, add 1,200 g water to the mixing bowl and bring to a boil for 10 min / 100° C / speed 1. If you're cooking 500 g of pasta, increase the water to 1,500 g and extend the boiling time to 14 min.
- Once the time is up, add the salt and spaghetti through the lid opening into the mixing bowl.
- Set the cook time according to the package directions. Cook at 100° C / Reverse mode / speed 1.
- In the meantime, shell the walnuts. Peel the garlic cloves and cut the Parmesan cheese into rough chunks.
- Drain the cooked pasta, making sure to reserve that liquid-gold pasta water, and keep the pasta warm.
- To make the pesto, add the walnuts, Parmesan, and garlic cloves to the mixing bowl. Chop for 10 sec / speed 7.
- Next, add the tomato paste, hot paprika, olive oil, 200 g of the reserved pasta water, salt, and pepper to the mixing bowl and blend for 20 sec / speed 7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and season with extra salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Toss the pesto over the warm pasta and serve garnished with fresh basil.
Notes
- You can sprinkle a little extra grated Parmesan on top right before serving.
- Feel free to swap out the tomato paste in the pesto for red pepper paste, sambal oelek, or ajvar!
