Smoked Almond Pesto Spaghetti
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 1pound spaghetti
- 1½cups fresh or frozen peas
- ¾cup/4 ounces smoked almonds
- 2garlic cloves
- 1½packed cups/1½ ounces fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1packed cup/1 ounce flat-leaf parsley leaves
- ½cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
- 1teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
937 calories; 39 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 114 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 654 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, adding fresh peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking or frozen peas during the last minute. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta and peas.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine almonds and garlic, and pulse until finely chopped. Add basil, parsley, cheese and paprika. With the machine running, drizzle in oil until well blended and a thick sauce forms. Transfer pesto to a large bowl, stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Add cooked pasta and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat pasta in the pesto, then season again as needed. (Add more pasta water if a thinner consistency is desired.)
- Step 4
Divide pasta among bowls and garnish with additional cheese and basil.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Jane S
As I had all the ingredients to hand when I saw this new recipe, I decided to try it out. The verdict? Really good! The smokiness of the almonds and paprika is evident but subtle and not at all overwhelming and the large quantities of basil and parsley pack a nice punch. Super quick and easy to prepare too. My only suggestion for improvement would be to add a half teaspoon of dried chili flakes to give it a little spiciness, which I will add next time. Definitely a keeper!
Jane S
Any grocery store - look for Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds in the nuts section. By the way they are delicious on salads so get a large bag!
frances
So the obvious question.... can one just use non-smoked almonds? Where the heck am I supposed to find those.
Don G.
I've made this before and using smoked almonds is destructive to the delicate taste of a good homemade pesto. I now use plain almonds or pistachios, plain paprika and lime juice. Much better flavor blending.
melp
Trader Joe's carries smoked almonds that are (almost) reasonably priced and are excellent. I use them in salads all the time.
Edith
Smoked paprika is a super power in your kitchen. Adds a fantastic smokey flavor, you'll find yourself using it all the time.
Ben E.
The parsley is here to add a green, bitter flavor to the pesto. Cilantro is probably too floral for that role (though it might be excellent, it is closer to the basil in role than the parsley). I would look for other neutral bitter greens. Perhaps fresh chervil, dandelion greens, or endive, or even spinach or arugula.
SamFloss
There are a number of on-line sources for nuts, snacks, whole grains and legumes, and cooking basics. One I have used recently is nuts.com and they absolutely have smoked and other flavored almonds.
KEC
This was fantastic. As per comments, I used the Blue Diamond smokehouse almonds and followed the recipe exactly until the lemon juice. I only used 2 tsp of lemon juice to finish and I’m glad that’s all I used. I needed almost all the pasta water to loosen the sauce. My dinner guests had high praise. Definitely will make again!
Faded elegance
I would guess the recipe will work with Blue Diamond smoked almonds - readily available in most grocery and many big box warehouse stores.
doug c
Used regular salted almonds. Substituted kale for the parsley Used Wholefoods precooked salmon (frozen) This was mind blowing. The flavors were bold. A great recipe for entertaining guests Wow
Dave
Can someone answer the question, why does it say 3/4 cup, 4 ounces smoked almonds? What do I use 3/4 cup, or 4 ounces? Same for basil leaves it says 1 1/2cups, 1.5 ounces. Which one is it?
YiaYia
I’ve made versions of this using both smoked & regular roasted/salted almonds on different occasions, usually combining it with sautéed red peppers. While I agree that the smoked almonds can be assertive & impact the overall flavor, it’s a tasty variant, if not traditional. I learned to make pesto from our immigrant Italian babysitter, who used no nuts & way more garlic than I’ve ever seen in any recipe, Parmesan always on top,never blended in. That was her tradition.
Peter Dewitz
This an inferior recipe to traditional basal. The parsley and the smoked almonds destroyed the crisp flavor of the basil. The peas further mask the basal. I would stick to traditional pesto.
Linda
I eyeballed a single serving without basil during the winter. I used a little mint, mostly parsley and garlic. A generous amount of pecorino cheese, a little smoked paprika, some white wine vinegar, all served over spaghetti. Some Crémant to drink. It was delicious.
stan
Delicious with a nice tin of sardines.
Marilyn Hirsch
I added 1/4 tsp of hot smoked paprika, in addition to the teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika. A hint of a kick!
Brian
My wife LOVES this. No notes!
John M.
This was an excellent & unique way to prepare pasta! I made this exactly as noted with the exception of halving the recipe for two. The smoked almonds and paprika flavors came through nicely without being overpowering. The peas did get lost in the spaghetti, but I like spaghetti enough that I'll do without the peas rather than switching pasta. Thanks again, Ms. Chun.
Boxcar Bob
I made the recipe pretty much as written with the exception of using bowtie pasta based on the comment of peas getting lost in the spaghetti noodles. It was a hit with my family and the peas didn't get lost. I was also pleased because I finally was able to use up the last of my 5 pound bag of almonds I bought during the pandemic for "just in case".
William
Fabulous recipe. I won't add comments about tastes, as others cover it. For next time I will use a small pasta like shells or farfalle. The peas don't stick to spaghetti, and the all end up at the bottom of the bowl.
Lenny
Made this as written and it was one of the best thing I have ever eaten let alone made!
Phlox
A simple weeknight dinner that the whole family enjoyed (& the 6-year-old enjoyed making). Was not as smoky or salt as I feared after I sampled the very smoky & salty almonds (from Trader Joe’s). I only had EVOO on hand, so used that despite the note to use a neutral oil. I did not find the EVOO to be too strong or altered by the food processor. Lovely dish!
lfc
Delicious! Forgot the peas, however.
Courtney B
So sorry, it doesn't work. Too heavy, too smokey and when mixed w. the pasta takes on a peculiar (not in a good way) and overwhelming heaviness. It lacks a brightness and smoked paprika on top of smoked almonds pushes it over the top. The neutral oil only adds to the heavy affect and may be the cause of an icky taste. Strangely, when we ate leftover pesto on crackers, was a bit more palatable. Was dying to make this, not a keeper. advise ditching paprika and EVOO instead of neutral oil.
Karen
Delicious! I used avocado oil for the neutral oil, and it worked well. My company enjoyed it as well. I will make this again
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