I have an endless number of variations of this pasta dish I make every spring – something simple yet buttery, a bit of white wine and pasta water for a silky sauce, and full of fresh veggies that speak to the season. My friends at Better Homes & Gardens magazine challenged me to create a recipe using delicious California Walnuts and I thought they would be a delightful and unexpected addition to a dish like this! This dish comes together quickly, so it’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
I started with sautéing thinly sliced shallots, leeks, and garlic which impart tons of flavor into the base of this dish. Mushrooms and asparagus pieces get added into the mix to pack the dish with veggies. If your asparagus is on the thicker side, cut each spear in half before slicing into 1” pieces to ensure they cook evenly with the rest of the ingredients. The roughly chopped California walnuts soften just slightly when cooked and bring a fragrant nutty element, and tons of texture to the dish. We’re making an effort to eat more vegetarian meals each week, so I also love that adding walnuts to this dish brings in protein and Omega-3s.
All of the ingredients get coated in a simple sauce made with a splash of wine that pulls flavor up from the pan and a bit of pasta water to ties it all together. I recommend sprinkling big shaved pieces of parmesan cheese on top before serving, which will also bring our nutty flavors like the California walnuts in the dish. It’s a bright and fresh dish that’s one of my new favorites, scroll down for the full recipe!
- ½ lb. of Linguine
- 4 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 Large Leek, thinly slice just the white and light green parts
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 3-4 Large Mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 Bunch of Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” slices
- 1 Cup of Walnuts, roughly chopped
- ¼ Cup of White wine
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil, cook linguine as directed to al dente and reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining and setting aside.
- In a large skillet, melt half of the butter and sauté the thinly sliced shallots and leeks. Cook until softened and translucent, about 6-7 minutes
- Add remaining butter, minced garlic, mushrooms, asparagus and the walnuts to the pan and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine to deglaze pan, and then add the pasta water to the dish. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce begins to slightly thicken and reduce and then toss with the cooked linguine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with shaved parmesan cheese before serving.
Please Note: This posted was created in partnership with Better Homes & Gardens and California Walnuts. All recipes, images and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site!
