When making this dish, try and get yourself some Williams pears. They have the right balance between sweetness and acidity and are perfect for pairing with walnuts.

‘Maltagliati’ is a pasta shape which you can really easily make at home, because even if they are irregular and imperfect in the way they are cut out, that is how they are supposed to be! Their origin is squarely in the region of Emilia and they are classically used in minestrone bean soup, although you will also find them in other recipes.