Pasta with pesto of almonds, breadcrumbs and sage

• 5 minutes to prepare • 10 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

 

10 MINUTES 

The Latin name of sage - salvia - comes from the verb meaning to save. The plant had indeed a very benevolent reputation. To the Romans it was a sacred herb, usually used during sacred ceremonies. The appointed person would make sacrifices of bread and wine, wear a white tunic and approach well washed and with bare feet. Roman instructions forbade iron tools, as iron salts are incompatible with sage.

Sage is a tasty culinary herb, often best used on its own. One chef once wrote that "In the grand opera of cooking, sage represents an easily offended and capricious prima donna. It likes to have the stage almost to itself."
Today we will follow this advice by combining it with few simple ingredients in an intriguing and savoury pesto (inspired from Cucchiaio's): almonds, Greek yogurt and fresh breadcrumbs will donate it consistency, while sage will be protagonist in flavor.

Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

 

320 g Rigatoni pasta
100 g peeled almonds
40 g fresh breadcrumbs
120 g Greek yogurt
40 g grated Parmesan cheese
20 sage leaves
EVO oil
salt

 

1. Rinse sage leaves under water and snap off the stem using your fingers
2. Place them in a blender together with the Parmesan cheese, almonds, the fresh breadcrumbs, 6 tablespoons of EVO oil. Blend until you get a smooth cream
3. Add the Greek yogurt and keep blending for few more seconds
4. Boil water in a pot, add salt and once started to bubble, pour the rigatoni pasta
5. Take away one ladle of pasta cooking water and keep it aside. Then drain pasta 2 minutes before the cooking time indicated on the package and transfer them into a pan together with the almonds and sage pesto. Stir carefully adding cooking water
6. Serve hot with few almonds and 1 sage leaf on top 

Finally, you find below Nutrition Facts of this dish. Data is provided per serving.

How can a man grow old who has sage in his garden?
(Chinese proverb)