Linguine with Creamy Walnut Sauce

I've decided that I'm going to dedicate this post to my dear friends Simon and Jenna. Before they moved to far-far away land, we would often get together and try really yummy dishes. I really, really miss those days. Simon and Jenna, you guys need to try this recipe. It's delicious, incredibly flavourful and can be made vegetarian. We decided to add some chicken for fun but this meal would pack lots of protein from the nuts. I was delighted to be able to use some fresh red and green onions from our garden for this meal. I have to say that the 1 cup of cream this recipe calls for doesn`t exactly make it a `fat free` or even a `light` dish, so, that said, indulge and enjoy a heavier meal for once. To really enjoy this meal, don't skip the step of toasting the walnuts. It really does make a big difference! The salad is from my first and presently only Kitchen Musings` correspondent, the most lovely Laura Stouffer. Once again, koodos goes to Martha and her Everyday Food crew. Bon Appétit!


Ingredients:
- 2 cups toasted walnuts
- 1 clove garlic (I did 2 1/2 and it was very garlicky... good, but very garlicky so go with what you like :)
- linguine for 4 (spinach linguine would be good!)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1-2 pieces boneless skinless chicken, cubed and pan fried with a bit of olive oil (optional)
- 1/2 a red onion, chopped
- 1/2 a red pepper, thinly sliced length-wise
- approx. 1 tbs. olive oil


Directions:
1. If you're making this meal with chicken, start by browning your chicken. 
2. Prepare your pasta according to the package's directions until al dente. 
3. Toast your walnuts - if you have a toaster oven, lay your walnuts out on the tray and toast for 3-4 minutes until they smell nice and walnutty. If you don't have a toaster oven, you can toast them either in a frying pan by turning every 30 seconds or so on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes or on 375F in the oven about 7-10 minutes. Just watch the little guys carefully because I ended up with a lot of burnt walnuts because I felt like I needed to toast mine again. Needless to say the fire alarm went off just as our guests were arriving!
4. When chicken is fully cooked, add chopped red onion, cook until fragrant approx. 3-4 minutes, then add your red pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes until tender. You may need to add a little bit more olive oil to keep everything from sticking.
5. Make your sauce: in a food processor, combine 1 cup of walnuts, the garlic and the 1 cup of heavy cream. Blend! You could probably do this with a hand-blender or one of those magic-bullet thingamagiggies. 
6. Your pasta should be ready by now - strain well and return to the pot. Pour a small amount of sauce on the chicken mixture and the rest on to the pasta. Add your additional 1 cup of walnuts to the chicken mixture.
7. Serve by placing the chicken mixture on top of the pasta (don't mix it in as it usually all goes to the bottom... trust me!). Enjoy!


Salad recipe to follow :)