Pecan Recipes

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Con Poulos

When we hear “pecans,” the first thing that comes to mind is a classic, sticky-sweet pecan pie. But pecans are great for dishes besides dessert—you can mix them with roasted vegetables, add them to a sweet potato gratin or put some crunch in a green salad. Here, our best savory pecan recipes.

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Grilled Summer Squash with Blue Cheese and Pecans

Eva Kolenko

For grilled squash with a uniformly crisp texture, chef Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer in North Carolina cuts her squash lengthwise into quarters and then removes the seedy interior. This gorgeous summer squash salad is tossed with a bright, lemony dressing.

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Kale & Apple Salad with Pancetta and Candied Pecans

Kale is a marvelous green for salads because it's hearty enough to handle hefty ingredients like nuts and meat, plus it doesn't wilt as it sits on the table. When chef Ryan Hardy makes this kale salad for Thanksgiving dinner at Montagna at the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado, he deep-fries the pecans, but it's quicker (and less messy) to toast them in the oven.

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Porcini-and-Pecan Pâté

Proving that vegetables can be as satisfying as meat, chef Sean Baker serves this mushroom pate on the vegan "charcuterie" plate at his Berkeley restaurant, Gather.

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Ginger-Spiced Pecans

Pecan halves sauteed with butter, sugar, and ground ginger are positively addictive. Serve them with ice cream, a selection of cookies, or fruit desserts, or on their own after dessert as petit fours. They're quick to make and, presented in tins, are great holiday gifts. If you prepare the pecans more than two days ahead, add another half teaspoon of ginger, since the flavor dissipates over time.

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Gingered Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Pecan Cream

Dean Fearing loves the holiday feel of butternut squash, especially when it's combined with ginger, as it is for his smooth, gently sweet soup. He tops it with whipped cream flecked with chopped pecans for a number of reasons: "Usually holiday soups have a dollop of cream--adding pecans gives it a dollop of flavor. And crunch. I think everything should have a little bit of crunch to it. Plus, this is Texas, and pecans are Texas."

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Maple Pecans

These nuts are an addictive combination of sweet, spicy and sticky-crunchy.

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Maple-Ginger-Roasted Vegetables with Pecans

When roasting winter vegetables, Melissa Rubel Jacobson says be sure to chop them about the same size, so they cook at the same rate. And toss them at least once while they're in the oven, so they brown evenly.

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Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Nutty sauteed chicken dipped in a creamy mustard sauce delivers nicely varied textures and flavors. Using cornstarch rather than flour makes the crust especially crisp.

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Quinoa Pilaf with Pecans

Pilafs require flexibility in the kitchen. Sometimes they need more cooking liquid; sometimes they need less. So watch this pilaf as it cooks.

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Marinated Skirt Steak Tacos with Pecan-Chipotle Salsa

For her Manhattan restaurant, Salvation Taco, F&W Best New Chef 2007 April Bloomfield worked with chef Roberto Santibanez to develop a menu of admittedly inauthentic, but very delicious and creative Mexican-inspired dishes like this amazing skirt steak taco.

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Lentil Salad with Spinach, Pecans, and Cheddar

Spinach serves two purposes here: Half of the leaves are shredded and wilted with the warm lentils, while the rest is dressed and makes a base for the salad. For the cheese, choose a good-quality aged white or yellow cheddar; its sharp flavor will perfectly contrast the lentils' earthiness.

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Maple-Glazed Pork Chops with Toasted Pecans

"Pork chops are a perennial favorite with our 140 members," Kristin Kimball says. "We have to limit the amount we give out, or they'd be gone too quickly." The pork is especially good glazed with maple syrup tapped from the farm's own trees. "We use maple syrup a lot, since we don't have sugar. We probably go through 15 gallons in a year."

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Pasta with Roasted Squash, Sausage and Pecans

Emeril Lagasse tosses pasta with sausage, butternut squash, sage and pecans for a terrific, hearty dish.

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Quinoa with Apples, Celery Root, Arugula, and Pecans

This quinoa salad is perfect for the fall and winter months. It's colorful, light, easy to assemble, and delicious as an afternoon lunch.

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Mixed Nuts with Crispy Herb and Garlic

Con Poulos

To make the most addictive nuts for the holidays, Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple first toasts garlic, sage and rosemary in olive oil, then uses that fragrant oil to cook the nuts.

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Mixed Nuts with Crispy Herb and Garlic

Con Poulos

To make the most addictive nuts for the holidays, Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple first toasts garlic, sage and rosemary in olive oil, then uses that fragrant oil to cook the nuts.

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Replay gallery

Pecan Recipes

1 of 17

Grilled Summer Squash with Blue Cheese and Pecans

2 of 17

Kale & Apple Salad with Pancetta and Candied Pecans