For those who aren’t familiar with this odd looking pasta shape, it’s name is Croxetti and it is circular and stamped usually with an intricate pattern. It’s something I’ve only become familiar with recently and can’t resist an unexplored pasta variety!

This is really very simple and absolutely delicious, I would recommend using a thick strand of pasta such as tagliatelle or fettuccine (if you can’t find or don’t fancy croxetti) as the cream sauce coats the pasta well – such long expanses require plenty of lubrication, as in oil based sauces. It’s worth thinking about the way we cut vegetables, as someone informed me recently that cubes aren’t great with long pasta. If we cut the vegetables to mimic the long thin strands, it makes far more sense that the dish will blend together more pleasingly.

I have thought about getting my own stamp design made – you could make a dish extra special, maybe even quite humorous. A message or design stamped on your own homemade croxetti and served up to a loved one…or enemy….something to think about, or maybe not. A family crest or could be good.

I should also mention this dish is Yottam Ottolenghi’s creation, and I found it in his Guardian article. Great article, if you’ve not seen this!

Ingredients Serves 2

• 300g croxetti or other pasta
• 60g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 30g unsalted butter
• 15 sage leaves, finely shredded
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp double cream
• 50g parmesan and extra for sprinkling on top
• 1 handful of chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Heat oven to 140°C and put a large pan of salted water on to boil.

When oven is at required temperature, place your chopped walnuts on an oven tray – over a piece of baking parchment. Toast in the oven for about 15 minutes and leave to one side to cool.

Add your pasta to the boiling water and time until al dente whilst you prepare the sauce.

Heat a medium sized frying pan over a high heat and melt your butter. Add the sage for just 2 minutes until the butter starts to brown. Keep a close eye on this so it doesn’t burn!

Add the cream, lemon zest and a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir for a few seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain your pasta when al dente but make sure to reserve roughly half a cup of cooking water.

Add the pasta back into the pan and pour over the sauce (heat up a little first if it’s gone cold), add a little of the reserved pasta water if it has gone a bit too thick and mix everything together.

Add the parmesan, walnuts, lemon juice and chopped parsley, mix through and serve immediately!