Gusta Walnut Sauce jar Ligurian recipe
Gusta walnut sauce creamy texture close-up
Gusta walnut sauce with pasta serving
Gusta Italian walnut sauce ingredients
Gusta walnut sauce on gnocchi
Gusta walnut sauce bruschetta spread
Liguria

Gusta Walnut Sauce from Portofino

4.618 reviews

Walnut sauce from Portofino, Liguria. Walnuts, Parmesan, marjoram.

$24.97

Purchase type
  • Walnuts (42%), Parmesan Cheese PDO, marjoram from Liguria
  • Ships from our New York warehouse in 1-2 days
  • Free shipping over $75
Terraced basil rows on a Ligurian cliffside above a misty bay at dawn.
Place
Salsa di noci is one of Liguria's oldest pasta sauces and almost entirely unknown outside the region. It predates the tomato in Italian cooking. In Liguria it is served with pansotti, a triangular stuffed pasta, though it works with any pasta that has body. The walnuts come from inland Liguria, where the climate is cooler than the coast.
Hands working a stone mortar with basil, pine nuts, and garlic beside a small bottle of olive oil.
Process
Walnuts (42% by weight) are blanched to remove the bitter skin, then blended with Parmesan Cheese PDO, cashews, olive oil, marjoram, garlic, and a small amount of nutmeg. No heat processing. The cashew content gives the sauce a smoother texture than pure walnut.
Gloved hands spooning fresh pesto from a wooden bowl into glass jars on a worn workbench.
People
Same Portofino source as our pesto. This walnut sauce has been a local product for generations. We found it because we were looking for something that would introduce customers to something genuinely regional and largely unknown outside northern Liguria.

What's inside

Ingredients
Walnuts (42%), olive oil, cashew nuts, Parmesan Cheese PDO (milk, salt, rennet), salt, vegetable fibers, marjoram, garlic, nutmeg, lactic acid. No preservatives. No artificial colors. No artificial flavors.
Certifications
  • Made in Italy
  • Parmesan Cheese PDO
Contains
Milk, walnuts, cashews. May contain peanuts.

How to use it

Toss with freshly cooked pasta off the heat. Use 2 tablespoons per 100g of pasta. Traditionally served with pansotti or trofie in Liguria. Also works with penne or spaghetti. A teaspoon stirred into risotto at the end of cooking adds depth. Refrigerate after opening and use within 5 days.

Salsa di noci predates the tomato's arrival in European kitchens by centuries. If serving it to someone who has never tried it, introduce it on bread first before serving on pasta.

Pairs with

From the recipe book.

Cook a

Read the recipe ›
See all recipes ›

The rest of the pantry

Questions

  • Is it dairy-free?
    No. The walnut sauce contains Parmesan Cheese PDO (milk). It also contains walnuts and cashews.
  • Is it nut-free?
    No. It contains walnuts (42%) and cashews. It may also contain peanuts from shared equipment.
  • What is salsa di noci?
    Salsa di noci is a walnut-based pasta sauce from Liguria. It is one of the region's oldest sauces and predates the tomato's arrival in Italian cooking.
  • What pasta shape does it go with?
    Trofie and pansotti are traditional in Liguria. Penne and spaghetti also work well. The sauce coats smooth and ridged shapes equally.
  • How long does it last after opening?
    Refrigerate after opening and use within 5 days.
  • Does it contain gluten?
    No gluten-containing ingredients are listed. The product is made in a facility that handles other products. If you have a diagnosed gluten allergy, contact us directly.
  • What does PDO mean on the Parmesan?
    PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) is the English equivalent of the Italian DOP. It means the Parmesan was produced in its designated region under verified production standards.
  • Is it made in Italy?
    Yes. Made in Portofino, Liguria.

Reviews

Six Italian regions. Nothing reformulated. Imported direct.