The diós tészta is yet another member of the weird and wonderful group of sweet pasta dishes in Hungary that people usually eat as a second course after a hefty soup. The egg noodles are first slicked with butter, then showered in ground walnuts, powdered sugar, and runny fruit preserves. Simple and delicious.
Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings; Total time: 15 minutes
350 grams (¾ pound) dried pasta, ideally a long and thin variety called metélt to which tagliolini or tagliatelle come closest
160 grams (⅓ pound or about 2 heaping cups) finely ground walnuts
8 tablespoons (½ cup) powdered sugar
5 tablespoons butter
Pinch of salt, for the pasta water
Runny apricot preserves
Directions
Step 1: In a medium pot, bring 2 liters (2.1 quarts) salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain pasta, then add to a large pan or pot and toss with butter so that pasta becomes slippery on all sides.
Step 2: In the meantime, mix together freshly ground walnuts and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Pour the walnut mixture onto the pasta and mix well so that all strands are nicely coated. Spoon individual portions into serving plates and serve while hot with a topping of runny apricot jam.
Words of advice
Given the simplicity of the noodle toppings here, it pays off to use a generous hand with both the walnut mixture and the fruit preserves and be sure to serve fresh off the stove.
I created these recipes with the help of nearly a dozen historical Hungarian cookbooks, adjusting ingredients, cooking times, and methods to reflect my own preferences and tastes of the current day. Do you have any feedback? Please let me know!