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Fettuccine tossed in a simple almond pesto with diced jalapeños and poblano peppers brings unique flavors to this pasta dish.
This post is a long time coming. It was about a year and a half ago that I brought a kitchen island that I made to my stepsister, Elizabeth. She lives in Philadelphia and at the time was working at Amis Trattoria, which is a very well-know Italian restaurant. We got to sit at the chef's table and ate more than I've probably ever eaten in my life.
The one dish that Elizabeth swore by and ended up being my favorite as well was bucatini with almond pesto and sliced jalapeño. Up to that point I had never actually had almond pesto and was pleasantly surprised by it with the additional heat from the jalapeño and poblano pepper.
Afterward I asked Elizabeth what was in the almond pesto and was surprised that there were no herbs or greenery for that matter. I don't know about you but I always associated pesto with herbs, whether it was basil or parsley or cilantro. However this almond pesto recipe consists of almonds, olive oil, garlic and salt - pretty simple.
What really puts this dish over the top is the peppers. First the poblano ragu which is just a fancy way of saying you cook some poblano peppers in olive oil with garlic. And then the thinly sliced jalapeños for additional heat. It really pairs great with the almond pesto. As the case with any pepper, you control the heat with the amount of seeds you leave. We like heat but not too much, so we usually leave the seeds out.
I actually used this recipe as an excuse to make my own fettuccine, which you obviously don't have to do. If you want to have something more similar to the original at Amis Trattoria, just buy some bucatini. Either way, if you're looking for a unique pasta dish, this is for you.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Almonds - the star of the show.
- Olive oil - pureed with the almonds to make the pesto.
- Garlic, poblano, jalapeño peppers - where a lot of the flavor comes from.
- Salt - enhances the flavor.
- Fettuccine or bucatini pasta - either works great.
- Parmesan cheese - helps thicken the sauce and binds everything together.
How to Make Almond Pesto Fettuccine
1. First make almond pesto. Roast almonds at 300°F for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
2. Add roasted almonds, olive oil, garlic and salt to blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Now make poblano ragu. Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add diced poblano peppers and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Time to prepare the dish. Cook fettuccine according to package instructions. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sliced jalapeño and garlic and cook until garlic is starting to brown.
5. Deglaze skillet with 1 ½ cups pasta water.
6. Add poblano ragu and bring to boil, cooking for 2 minutes.
7. Add drained pasta to skillet and cook until water reduces by half.
8. Finish dish by stirring in ¾ cup almond pesto and 1 cup Parmesan cheese, tossing to combine. Serve with some Parmesan cheese and chopped almonds on top.
Should I Make My Own Pasta?
I used to be of the opinion that it's much easier to just buy dried pasta. That was until I finally decided to make my own pasta. The difference is noticeable. I will never go back. If you are looking for a great pasta recipe try this one by Anne Burrell.
Can I Use Basil Pesto?
Yes although the flavor will be completely different. This almond pesto makes the almonds the star as there is no herbs in it. But if you want to have regular pesto, it will work just fine.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Do not skip roasting the almonds. Roasting the almonds adds a depth of flavor in the almond pesto.
- If you have a pasta maker or pasta maker attachment like I do, I highly suggest taking the time to make your own pasta. I always have pasta dough frozen in the freezer to use on these occasions.
- Use pasta water to deglaze the pan. The water gets flavor from the cooked pasta which adds flavor to the actual sauce.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 1-2 days in an air-tight container.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you’ve tried this almond pesto fettuccine or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Almond Pesto Fettuccine
Ingredients
Almond Pesto
- 1 cup almonds with skin on
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Poblano Ragu
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 poblano pepper, seeds removed and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Almond Pesto Fettuccine
- 1 lb fettuccine pasta
- 6 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 jalapeño peppers, sliced thin
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 1 ½ cups pasta water
- 6 tablespoon poblano ragu
- ¾ cup almond pesto
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ½ cup toasted skin-on almonds, chopped
Instructions
Almond Pesto
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Lay almonds in single layer. Roast for 25 minutes, tossing a halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool. Add almonds, olive oil, garlic and salt to blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Poblano Ragu
- Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add minced poblano and cook for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
Almond Pesto Fettuccine
- Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook fettuccine according to instructions. If using fresh pasta, cook for only 2 minutes.
- In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sliced jalapeño and garlic and cook until garlic is starting to brown. Deglaze the pan with pasta water. Add the poblano ragu to pan and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the drained pasta to saute pan and continue cooking until water reduces by half. Add ¾ cup almond pesto and 1 cup Parmesan cheese, tossing to combine. Serve in bowl, topped with remaining Parmesan and chopped almonds.
Notes
- Do not skip roasting the almonds. Roasting the almonds adds a depth of flavor in the almond pesto.
- If you have a pasta maker or pasta maker attachment like I do, I highly suggest taking the time to make your own pasta. I always have pasta dough frozen in the freezer to use on these occasions.
- Use pasta water to deglaze the pan. The water gets flavor from the cooked pasta which adds flavor to the actual sauce.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 1-2 days in an air-tight container.
Chris says
Never had almond pesto!
Brian says
I made this tonight
It was really good
The roasted Almond pesto was fantastic
I wasn't as spicy as I thoug It would be
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it. If you want it to be spicier, leave more of the seeds from the peppers!