Brown Butter Pasta with Walnuts

Pasta with brown butter, walnuts, and parsley in a white and black speckled bowl.

5 from 2 votes

Brown Butter Pasta with Walnuts

A quick and easy pasta dish with a short list of flavorful ingredients. Perfect anything from a weeknight dinner to date night.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Canadian

Servings:

Calories: 583kcal

Author: Jacqueline Piper

Ingredients

8 oz capellini 227 grams
5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
½ cup chopped walnuts
Parmesan cheese for serving, finely shredded
kosher salt
ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Boil a large salted pot of water.
Cook the pasta to al dente, using the package instructions as a guide.
Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Move to a bowl to stop the cooking process.
Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet and let it melt, reserving 1 tablespoon for later. The butter will melt, turn foamy, and then finally turn amber with golden brown flecks at the bottom. Turn the heat to low.
Either drain the pasta, or move it with tongs straight to the skillet of browned butter. Do this carefully in case it splatters.
Add some pasta water if needed. Add the walnuts and cheese and mix well.
Add the last tablespoon of butter and stir to melt. Add pasta water if needed and then season and serve.

Video

Notes

al dente: cook the pasta to your preference. I prefer mine al dente! This pasta doesn't cook much longer in the sauce, so you can cook to texture you want.
salt the water: make sure to salt your pasta water for the best flavor. Seasoning a dish at every step will lead you to the best tasting dish.
toasted nuts: toasting walnuts brings out a more rich and deep flavor. If you'd prefer not to toast them, feel free to skip this step but I recommend toasting them.
cold butter at the end: adding a tablespoon of cold butter at the end helps you achieve a super silky brown butter sauce.
season carefully: after adding the cheese and pasta to the browned butter, taste it to see how well it is seasoned. Add salt and pepper to your taste. This will be different for everyone.
starchy pasta cooking liquid: adding up to a half cup of pasta water to this dish, gives the sauce a looser consistency while the starch helps to keep it silky smooth.

Store leftovers in a container with a lid in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or add a touch of butter and reheat in a non-stick skillet for a few minutes.

Nutrition