No Bitter Radicchio Here!
I love a hearty fall pasta (you know the kind I’m talking about — pasta bolognese, a slow-braised lamb ragu, the kind of stick to your ribs dish that just tastes better on a cold night. But I also really love a quick pasta recipe featuring seasonal fall or winter produce that doesn’t have to simmer for hours. That’s where this radicchio pasta with sage pesto comes in!
Sage pesto forms the heart of this recipe, coating every bite of pasta with it’s herby flavor. But it’s the sautéed radicchio that I think will surprise you most! This vegetable gets a bad rep for being bitter, but when you cook it down with a little vinegar and add creamy elements like mascarpone and Parmesan, it all balances out.
Why this recipe works
- Layers of complementary flavors and textures in every bite! Between the nutty sage pesto and the creamy mascarpone, each piece of pasta is coated in sauce.
- Radicchio helps to cut through the richness of the pasta. The finished dish feels balances and flavorful!
For more easy, comforting pasta recipes, consider trying my creamy pumpkin pasta with sage, spaghetti with pesto, potatoes, and green beans, or this pesto gnocchi with pancetta next!
What You’ll Need
- Sage pesto, made with fresh sage leaves, walnuts, garlic, lemon zest and juice, extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, and kosher salt
- Pasta, such as penne
- Olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper, to season everything.
- Radicchio: There are a lot of different varieties out there, you can use any kind you like!
- Mascarpone cheese, which melts beautifully and adds a creaminess to the pasta sauce.
- Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved on top
- Chopped toasted walnuts for crunch! You could take this one step further and top it with a walnut gremolata if you want even more flavor and texture.
Ingredient Substitutions
I really hope you’ll try this recipe as written with radicchio, but if you can’t find it for whatever reason, you can use kale instead. Or try endive, which has a similar bitter taste (don’t be scared, it can be cooked down and becomes less bitter!).
Other substitutions:
- Walnuts: Swap with pecans, almonds, or pine nuts.
- Mascarpone cheese: creme fraiche or ricotta can be used.
- Red wine vinegar: Any light vinegar, such as apple cider or white wine vinegar will work.
Directions
Full quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Make the Sage Pesto: Blend sage, toasted walnuts, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in olive oil until smooth and liquidy, then stir in Parmesan. Adjust seasoning.
- Cook the Pasta: Boil salted water, cook pasta until al dente, and reserve ½–1 cup cooking water. Drain.
- Sauté Onion: Cook sliced onion in olive oil with salt until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. Cook Radicchio: Add radicchio, salt, and red wine vinegar. Sauté until softened.
5. Combine: Add pasta, pesto, mascarpone, and reserved water to the skillet. Stir until coated. Toss with Parmesan and walnuts.Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with olive oil, lemon zest, black pepper, Parmesan, and flaky sea salt.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Salt your pasta water generously. It should taste like the sea for well-seasoned pasta.
- Don’t skimp on the oil in the pesto. It helps emulsify the sauce and coat the pasta evenly.
- Feel free to use any shape of pasta, but I recommend short shapes like penne, orecchiette, or farfalle as they hold the sauce beautifully.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Freezing
- To make-ahead: Prepare the sage pesto up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator, covered with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Leftovers and storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.
- To freeze: The sage pesto can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge before using. However, avoid freezing the assembled pasta, as mascarpone may separate when thawed.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this pasta with a crisp green salad or roasted vegetables for a complete meal. A glass of chilled white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, complements the dish beautifully.
A few light side dishes to try: garlicky broccolini with breadcrumbs, oven-baked cauliflower with pine nuts, or my easy arugula salad.
Perfect for a cozy dinner at home, but elegant enough for entertaining! Definitely give this a try, especially if you’re new to cooking with radicchio. It’s a great beginner recipe and I think you’ll be surprised by how easily it all comes together.
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Pasta with Radicchio, Walnuts, and Sage Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 lb tube shaped pasta, such as gemelli, paccheri, or penne
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated
- Radicchio, outer layers discarded, halved, core removed, and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cup sage walnut pesto, or other pesto (see ingredient list below!)
- ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- ⅓ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
For serving
- Extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, additional shaved Parmesan, flaky sea salt
Instructions
- If you haven't already, make sage pesto. You can of course substitute with your favorite store-bought or homemade pesto, but the fresh sage really gives this recipe its signature flavor profile.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, then season generously with a few tablespoons of kosher salt. Add pasta, then cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about ½ – 1 cup of cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
- Sauté onion. Heat 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add thinly sliced onion. Season with ½ tsp kosher salt then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add 2 cloves grated garlic, then cook 1 minute more.
- Cook the radicchio. Add the radicchio, ½ tsp kosher salt, and 2 tsp red wine vinegar, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the radicchio cooks down and has softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Toss with pesto. Add the cooked pasta, ½ cup sage walnut pesto, ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Stir until the pasta is evenly coated. Add ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese and ⅓ cup toasted chopped walnuts, then toss once more. Season to taste, then divide between bowls.
- To serve: Drizzle each bowl with a little extra virgin olive oil, then top with lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, shaved Parmesan, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the sage pesto recipe, you’ll need: fresh sage, walnuts, garlic, a lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and grated Parmesan cheese.
- To make-ahead: Prepare the sage pesto up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator, covered with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Leftovers and storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.
- To freeze: The sage pesto can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge before using. However, avoid freezing the assembled pasta, as mascarpone may separate when thawed.
Nutrition
Photography by Jo Harding.
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