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Liguria

Gusta Walnut Sauce from Portofino

4.618 reviews

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

$25.97

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

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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

  • 5 stars: 12 (67%)
  • 4 stars: 4 (22%)
  • 3 stars: 2 (11%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
k
kdc_2017
reorder 4

fourth jar. no notes. just buy it

D
David K.
Different from pesto in a good way

I ordered this thinking of it as a pesto alternative. It is different. Less bright, more muted and creamy, better in cold weather. I like it on trofie pasta especially.

n
na@amazon.com
Great winter alternative to pesto

In summer I use basil pesto. In winter this. The switch makes sense because the flavor is warmer and heavier in a way that works with the season. Trofie pasta is the right shape for it.

e
erica_m_92
gnocchi with walnut sauce is now a regular

made gnocchi from scratch and used this as the sauce. my partner said it was the best thing ive made. did not argue.

n
na@na.com
too heavy

found the flavor a bit overwhelming. could be my ratio or technique. not bad just more intense than expected. 3 stars bc it wasnt what i was hoping for but i can see why others love it

L
LINDA P.
Good spread too

I discovered you can use this as a spread on a good crusty roll. Not just a pasta sauce. The flavor is concentrated enough to hold up as a stand-alone spread. Very versatile.

A
Amanda Choi
Pasta salad upgrade

Made a cold pasta salad with this thinned with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil as the dressing. Served it at a summer gathering. Three people asked for the recipe. This is now my go-to for pasta salad.

J
Jennifer Rodriguez
Found a new weeknight staple

Weeknight pasta used to mean either jarred tomato sauce or basil pesto. This is a third option that I actually look forward to. It takes less than 10 minutes: boil pasta, toss with the sauce, add pasta water until silky, finish with parm. Done. Genuinely satisfying.

n
na@amazon.com
Creamy and good

Good flavor, good texture. The walnut creaminess coats pasta well. My only note is it needs some pasta water to loosen it up or it can be a bit thick. Once you add a splash of starchy pasta water it becomes silky.

n
nm_reads
not for me

the walnut flavor is fine but it tastes a bit heavy for a pasta sauce. felt like eating nut butter on pasta. maybe it would work thinned out more. didnt wow me

P
PATRICIA W.
Dinner party pasta

Made this for six people on a Friday. Trofie with walnut sauce and just a shaving of good hard cheese on top. People thought I had made it from scratch. Told them the truth. Four of them ordered it that weekend.

n
na@amazon.com
The walnut flavor is proper

This is real walnut sauce. Not walnut-flavored cream sauce. The nut flavor is present and rounded and pairs with pasta the way it is supposed to. I have tried other jarred walnut sauces and none of them got the ratio right. This one does.

R
Rebecca L.
Winter pasta solved

I used to be stumped about pasta in cold months when I did not want tomato sauce again. This is the answer. Warm, creamy, nutty in a way that feels right for winter. Made it with pappardelle twice this week.

t
tbaker_
the Ligurian coast in a jar

not going to overclaim this but it genuinely transports me. made this on a cold february tuesday and it tasted like a meal we had in Liguria. the walnut and cream base is very specific and very right

M
Michael Torres
Ligurian walnut sauce in a jar

I had walnut sauce on pasta in a small restaurant near Portofino years ago. I have been trying to make it at home since and never quite got it right. This is as close to that memory as I have found in a jar. The creaminess and the walnut depth are both there.

m
mlewis7
Rich and seasonal

Used this on pappardelle with a bit of sage. The walnut flavor and the sage were a natural combination. This is what good jarred sauce can be when the underlying ingredients are right.

J
JAMES W.
Crostini that actually worked

I normally use tomato-based things on crostini. Tried this as a change. A thin layer on toasted bread with a few drops of lemon. Genuinely delicious and different from anything else on the board. Will be doing this again.

R
ROBERT H.
Excellent.

Excellent.

Six Italian regions. Nothing reformulated. Imported direct.