Linguine with lettuce pesto

Name: Linguine with lettuce pesto
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Linguine pasta 11.3 oz; Lettuce 0.5 lb; Sun-dried tomatoes in oil 0.8 oz; Almonds 1 oz; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 36 months 1.8 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp; Sun-dried tomatoes in oil to taste; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese Aged 36 months 0.8 oz; Pea sprouts to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Serving: 4

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PRESENTATION

Linguine with lettuce pesto swaps basil for a leafy green you likely already have on hand, building the sauce from lettuce, almonds, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, and sun-dried tomatoes. The result is a creamy, cohesive pesto that coats the pasta without weighing it down — a quieter alternative to pesto genovese, and one worth making on its own terms. The whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes, which makes it a practical choice on days when you want something considered without spending much time at the stove.

The lettuce keeps things light, the almonds add body where pine nuts would normally go, and the sun-dried tomatoes bring a low-key intensity that basil-based versions rarely carry — the Parmigiano Reggiano DOP ties it into something that tastes deliberate rather than assembled. It works just as well at a family lunch as it does when you have people over.

INGREDIENTS

for the pasta: Linguine pasta 11.3 oz (320 g)

for the lettuce pesto: Lettuce 0.5 lb (340 g); Sun-dried tomatoes in oil 0.8 oz (20 g); Almonds 1 oz (30 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz (50 g) - 36 months; Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp (40 g)

for garnish: Sun-dried tomatoes in oil to taste; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 0.8 oz (20 g) - Aged 36 months; Pea sprouts to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Linguine with lettuce pesto

To prepare the linguine with lettuce pesto, first put a large pot of water on the heat, salted to taste, which will be used to cook the pasta. Then move on to the pesto: wash the lettuce leaves thoroughly, dry them very well and roughly chop them 1. Transfer the lettuce to the bowl of a food processor together with the sun-dried tomatoes 2 and the almonds 3.

Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 4, a pinch of salt 5 and blend everything 6.

Then pour in the extra virgin olive oil 7 and run the food processor again until you obtain a creamy, smooth pesto. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl. When the water reaches a boil, cook the linguine 9.

Meanwhile prepare the Parmigiano Reggiano DOP shavings with a vegetable peeler. Add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the lettuce pesto 11, then drain the linguine al dente, rinse them briefly under cold water and transfer them to the bowl with the pesto 12.

Mix them carefully 13 until the pesto is evenly distributed 14. Transfer the linguine to plates, finish with pea shoots 15.

Also add some pieces of sun-dried tomatoes 16, the Parmigiano Reggiano DOP shavings 17 and serve your linguine with lettuce pesto 18.

Storage

Store the linguine with lettuce pesto in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, and consume within 2 days. The lettuce pesto can be prepared in advance and frozen; when using it, simply let it thaw slowly in the refrigerator before dressing the pasta.

Tip

For an even more intense flavor you can make the pesto with romaine lettuce. If you want a richer texture, replace or combine the almonds with cashews or pine nuts.

The step of running the pasta under cold water allows you to obtain a lukewarm dish that enhances the delicacy of the lettuce pesto without altering its flavor.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

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