Whole Wheat Pasta with Parsley, Walnut and Black Olive Pesto

  1. 2 ½ cups lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves (about 1 large bunch)
  2. ½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
  3. 4 ounces chèvre (fresh goat cheese)
  4. 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives, such as kalamata
  5. ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  6. ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  7. 1 pound dried whole-wheat DeCecco Linguine

Place the chopped walnuts on a baking sheet.Bake for 5-7 minutes in a 350 degree oven.Watch carefully so that the nuts do not burn. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta in the pot of boiling water according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining in a colander; add a little of the water to the pasta to give moisture to the dish, if needed.

Place parsley, walnuts, chèvre, olives, pepper, and a generous pinch of salt in a food processor. until ingredients are coarsely chopped and mixed together. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream.

Serve the pasta individually in a spiral in the center of each plate.Add a dollop of the pesto, a few torn small parsley leaves and a few toasted chopped walnuts on top.