Lemon Pepper Fettuccine with Pecans, Garlic and Breadcrumbs

 

This pecan garlic sauce tasted amazing, and was really simple to throw together.  It's definitely going to be a keeper.

1¼ cups pecan pieces

7 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

freshly ground white pepper to taste

1 lb fettuccine or other long pasta

1 Tbsp chopped parsley for garnish (I skipped this, too)

Chop the pecans into small pieces, removing the bitter membrane if the nuts are freshly shelled (I just tossed them through my salad shooter). Warm 6 tablespoons of the oil in a saucepan. Add the pecans, garlic, and bread crumbs, and sauté gently, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the sauce is being prepared, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, place into a serving dish, and mix thoroughly with the remaining oil and the pecan and garlic sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

We put this on top of some lemon pepper fettuccine that we'd made up a few days earlier as part of our experiments with our pasta machine, but I bet it would be great with just regular spaghetti, too!