Whole-grain penne with walnuts, caramelized onions, and ricotta salata
SERVES 8
TIME 1 hour, 20 minutes
Ingredients
7 medium onions (about 4 lbs.),
peeled and thinly sliced
5 tbsp. olive oil, divided
3/4 tsp. sugar
About 2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups walnut halves
10 oz. whole-grain penne or fusilli
pasta
1 lb. ricotta salata cheese*, crumbled
2/3 cup loosely packed flat-leaf
parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions
1. In a large frying pan over high
heat, cook onions in 3 tbsp. oil
with the sugar and 2 tsp. salt,
stirring and turning often, until
onions begin to release their
juices and turn golden, 10 to 13
minutes. Reduce heat to medium
and cook, stirring occasionally,
until onions turn a caramel color
and become quite sweet, 35 to
40 minutes longer. If onions
begin to stick to the pan or char
during cooking, reduce heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a small frying
pan (not nonstick) over mediumlow
heat, toast walnuts, stirring
frequently, until fragrant and
golden, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool
slightly. Pour walnuts into a
resealable plastic bag and lightly
crush with a rolling pin. Set aside.
3. When onions are nearly done,
cook pasta in boiling salted
water until tender to the bite,
9 to 12 minutes or according to
package instructions. Drain
pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup
cooking water.
4. In a large bowl, mix pasta
with caramelized onions,
walnuts, ricotta salata, parsley,
reserved cooking water, lemon
juice, pepper, and remaining
2 tbsp. oil. Season to taste with
more salt. Serve hot.
*Ricotta salata (also called “hard
ricotta”) is a firm white Italian
cheese made by salting, pressing,
and drying sheep’s-milk ricotta. In
flavor, it’s like a very mild, nutty,
less tangy feta, which makes it a
natural addition to pastas and
salads (it can also be grated). Look
for ricotta salata in specialty stores,
Italian markets, or any supermarket
with a good cheese department.
PER SERVING 594 Cal., 53% (315 Cal.)
from fat; 19 g protein; 35 g fat
(11 g sat.); 56 g carbo (9.3 g fiber);
1,559 mg sodium; 50 mg chol.
Serve with 2008 Jasper Woods Chardonnay, Mendocino County
