main dishes sardinian

Spaghetti with Walnut Sauce (Spaghetti alla Salsa di Noci)

Sardinian spaghetti tossed with a creamy walnut sauce made by soaking, peeling, and pounding walnuts with garlic, parsley, milk, and a hint of nutmeg.

Vegetarian
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Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Total 50 min
Servings 6
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

Pasta

Sauce

Seasoning

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Instructions

  1. Soak the walnut kernels in a bowl of warm water mixed with a little of the milk for about 30 minutes. This softens them and loosens the skins.

    Tip: Use warm water, not boiling. Boiling water can make the walnuts mushy and harder to handle.

  2. Drain the walnuts and peel off the thin, papery skins. The skins are bitter and will affect the flavour of the sauce if left on.

  3. Pat the peeled walnuts dry, then pound them in a mortar or blend them in a food processor until you have a rough paste.

  4. Heat the olive oil in a pan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently until fragrant but not coloured, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and stir for 30 seconds.

    Tip: Keep the heat low. Burnt garlic will dominate the sauce and overwhelm the walnut flavour.

  5. Add the walnut paste to the pan. Stir to combine with the garlic and parsley. Add a generous pinch of grated nutmeg.

  6. Dilute the sauce with the remaining milk. Stir well and cook on very low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency, about 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt.

    Tip: The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. If it is too thick, add more milk. If too thin, cook a little longer.

  7. Cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving a little pasta water.

  8. Toss the hot spaghetti with the walnut sauce, adding pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce so it coats the pasta evenly. Serve immediately.

Storage & Meal Prep

The walnut sauce keeps for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. It thickens when cold — thin it with a little warm milk or pasta water when reheating. It also freezes well for up to a month.

Variations

  • With Marjoram: Replace the parsley with fresh marjoram for a more aromatic, slightly sweeter sauce.
  • With Bread Soaked in Milk: Some versions include a slice of white bread soaked in milk and added to the walnut paste. It makes the sauce thicker and more bread-like in texture.

FAQ

Why soak and peel the walnuts?

Soaking softens the walnuts and makes them easier to blend or pound into a smooth paste. Peeling removes the thin, bitter skin that can make the sauce taste astringent. It is an extra step but it makes a noticeable difference.

Can I use a food processor instead of a mortar?

Yes. A food processor will give you a smoother sauce in less time. The traditional method uses a mortar and pestle, which produces a slightly coarser, more textured paste. Both work.

Interactive Nutrition Map

6 Servings

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Vegetables
Garlic
3 g
Grains & Bread
Dried Pasta (Small)
500 g
Nuts & Seeds
Walnuts
300 g
Oils & Fats
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
41 g
Herbs & Spices
Fresh Parsley
6 g

Per Serving

697kcalCalories
18gProtein
70gCarbs
41gFat
6gFiber
Sodium
6mg0% DV
Potassium
409mg9% DV
Calcium
68mg5% DV
Iron
2.6mg14% DV
Magnesium
123mg29% DV
Vitamin C
0.8mg1% DV
Vitamin A
1µg0% DV
Vitamin K
6.2µg5% DV
Folate
64µg16% DV
Dried Pasta (Small)
Walnuts
Garlic
Fresh Parsley
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* Nutrition is an estimate; actual values vary by ingredient brands and cooking methods. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Story Behind This Dish

Salsa di noci is one of those Sardinian pasta sauces that does not need much introduction. Walnuts, garlic, parsley, milk, a scrape of nutmeg — that is the entire list. The technique matters more than the ingredients: you soak the walnuts to soften them, peel off the bitter skins, pound or blend them into a paste, and cook them gently with aromatics and milk until the sauce comes together.

The soaking and peeling step is the one people are most tempted to skip. Do not skip it. The thin skin on walnut halves is astringent, and if it stays in the sauce, the whole dish tastes slightly bitter and muddy instead of clean and nutty. Thirty minutes in warm water is enough to loosen the skins so they rub off easily between your fingers.

The milk is what makes this sauce work as a pasta coating rather than just a chunky nut paste. It thins the walnuts into something pourable and gives the sauce a creamy body without any cream. Nutmeg is the last touch — just a pinch, freshly grated, to lift the flavour without making it taste like dessert.

This is a simple, filling pasta that works as a weekday meal or as part of a larger spread. It is also one of the few Sardinian pasta sauces that happens to be vegetarian without any modification.

Part of: The Sardinian Kitchen

Related: Sardinian Table: Real Meals | Sardinian Ingredients Guide