Dinner: Spaghetti With Tomato and Walnut Pesto

Recipe by Andy Baraghani Basil is a mere garnish in this nutty, cheesy, peak-season pesto sauce.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Lemon, Nuts, Walnuts, Basil

Health and fertility benefits of Spaghetti With Tomato and Walnut Pesto

Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to. Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity. Walnuts are low on the glycemic index. What’s more, they also lower the glycemic index of other foods that you eat in conjunction with these nuts. Any kind of nuts provide a healthy source of fat and a great way to encourage PCOS weight loss. Basil is an excellent stress reliever, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Ingredients

2/3 cup walnuts
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
6 oil-packed anchovies, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 ounce Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup (packed) basil leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened, 8 –10 minutes. Let cool.
Heat broiler. Toss tomatoes with 2 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Broil, tossing once, until tomatoes are blistered and have released some of their liquid, 5 –7 minutes. Let cool.
Pulse anchovies, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 oz. Parmesan in a food processor until finely ground. Add walnuts and half of tomatoes, then, with motor running, stream in 1/3 cup oil; process just until combined. Season with salt. Transfer pesto to a large bowl and stir in black pepper.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
Transfer pasta to bowl with pesto and add a splash of pasta cooking liquid. Toss, adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta. Add basil and remaining tomatoes.
Divide among bowls; top with more Parmesan and black pepper and drizzle with oil.

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