Pasta al Pesto di Rucola e Noci (Pasta with Rocket and Walnut Pesto)

Peppery rocket gives this walnut pesto pasta a sharper, more savoury character than classic basil pesto, with toasted nuttiness from the walnuts and a salty depth from Parmesan. The sauce is used fresh rather than cooked, blended with garlic and extra virgin olive oil until coarse, then loosened with starchy pasta water so it clings lightly to the egg pasta. It is the kind of Italian-style dish that works best served immediately, while the greens taste bright and the texture stays silky rather than heavy. Simple enough for lunch or a quick supper, it can be made milder by softening the garlic or adjusted with extra pasta water for a glossier finish.
Recipe by JustRecipes Editorial Team
Content validated: August 2026 How we create recipes
Made this recipe? Rate it
Cuisine style Italian home cooking
Cooking style Minimal cleanup
Time commitment Under 30 minutes

Why this recipe works

  • Fast sauce, fresh flavour: The pesto is blended while the pasta cooks, keeping the whole dish quick without sacrificing freshness.
  • Peppery and nutty balance: Rocket brings a clean, peppery edge, while walnuts and Parmesan add savoury depth and richness.
  • Pasta water makes the sauce cling: A little starchy cooking water loosens the pesto into a glossy coating rather than a heavy paste.

Get the most out of this recipe

Ingredient notes

  • Choose fresh rocket: Use bright, fresh rocket for the best colour and peppery flavour; tired leaves can make the pesto taste flat or overly bitter.
  • Use good olive oil: Because the sauce is not cooked, the flavour of the extra virgin olive oil comes through clearly.
  • Mind the cheese swap: Grana Padano gives a milder, sweeter finish than Parmesan, so taste before adding extra salt.

Texture tips

  • Adjust the pesto texture: Blend briefly for a coarse pesto, or process a little longer if you prefer a smoother sauce.
  • Loosen gradually: Add pasta water a little at a time until the pesto coats the pasta in a light, silky layer.

Common mistakes

  • Do not cook the pesto: Toss it with the drained pasta off the heat or in the residual warmth of the pot to preserve the fresh rocket flavour.
  • Serve straight away: Rocket pesto is at its best when freshly tossed; the colour and flavour dull if it sits for too long.

Equipment you'll need

Colander Food processor Large pot Measuring cups
Ingredients
Instructions
Print
  1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season with 1.5 tsp of the fine sea salt. Add the egg pasta nests and cook until al dente. Before draining, scoop out about 150 ml of the pasta cooking water.
  2. While the pasta cooks, put the rocket, walnuts, garlic, parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and the remaining 0.5 tsp fine sea salt into a food processor. Blend to a coarse pesto, scraping down as needed. Add 2 to 4 tbsp of the reserved pasta water and blend briefly until the pesto is spoonable.
  3. Drain the pasta, return it to the warm pot, and add the pesto. Toss well, loosening with a splash more pasta water until glossy and evenly coated. Taste and adjust with a pinch more salt or pepper if needed, then serve straight away.

Made this recipe? Rate it — a comment is optional.

Recipe notes

Tips

  • For a milder garlic flavour, briefly blanch the garlic clove in the boiling pasta water for 30 seconds before blending.
  • If the pesto looks thick, keep adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it clings to the pasta in a light, silky layer.

Substitutions

  • Replace walnuts with pine nuts for a more classic pesto-style nuttiness.
  • Replace parmesan with grana-padano-cheese for a slightly milder, sweeter finish.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 2 days
  • Best eaten straight away. If you have leftovers, cool quickly and refrigerate in a sealed container; loosen with a splash of hot water and reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot, as the pesto can dull if overheated.

Ratings & reviews

Liked this recipe? Share your feedback to support our cooking community.

Tried this recipe?

Choose 1–5 stars. A comment is optional.

If you leave a comment, use 10–500 characters.

Stay inspired

Discover new recipes, seasonal favourites and cooking inspiration every day. Follow JustRecipes on Pinterest and Spillt.

Pinterest

Recipe overview

  • Servings: 2 servings
  • Total time: 25min (20min active)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Allergens:
    Eggs Gluten Milk Tree nuts Walnuts Wheat
Beginner friendly Kid friendly
Signal WhatsApp

Plan your meals and get a complete grocery list automatically.

Add to meal planner

Equipment you'll need

Colander Food processor Large pot Measuring cups

Got ingredients left?

Find recipes using ingredients from this recipe or what you already have at home.

Find recipes with these ingredients →

More variations

View all

More from this course

View all

Cook with these ingredients

Black pepper

1 cup ≈ 110.4 g
Convert ingredient→

Extra virgin olive oil

1 cup ≈ 240 ml
Convert ingredient→

Fine sea salt

1 cup ≈ 268.8 g
Convert ingredient→

More with similar ingredients

View all

You might also like

Browse alphabetically

Looking for a specific recipe? Choose a letter below to jump directly to recipes starting with that letter or number.

Explore the Recipe Index

Enjoy cooking with JustRecipes?

Add JustRecipes as one of your preferred Google sources to discover our recipes more easily across Google Search.

Add JustRecipes to Google

Every recipe on JustRecipes follows the same structured editorial process. Learn how recipes are created, validated, translated, illustrated, and continuously improved across the platform. How we create recipes.