Mark Bittman goes nuts with pecans

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Soak the bread in the milk. Combine the nuts, garlic, cheese, and marjoram in a food processor and turn the machine on. With the machine running, add the oil gradually, using just enough so that the mixture forms a very thick paste. Squeeze out the bread and add it to the mix, which will be very thick. Now add the milk the bread soaked in, and enough water to make a saucy mixture.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but not mushy. When it is ready, drain it — reserve some of the cooking water — and toss with the sauce; if the mixture appears too thick, thin with a little of the pasta cooking water (or more olive oil). Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve, with more Parmesan.

Pre-bake the crust until it's golden brown; put the pecans on a baking sheet and bake (you can do this before, during, or after baking the crust), shaking and stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the pecans are hot. Cool the pecans; coarsely chop half of them and leave the other half intact.

Start the filling while the crust is in the oven. When the crust is done, turn the oven to 375°F.

Beat the eggs well, until they are foamy. Beat in the sugars, salt, and butter. While the crust is baking, warm this mixture in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is hot to the touch; do not boil. Stir in the vanilla extract and the pecans.

Put the pie plate on a baking sheet. Pour this mixture into the still-hot crust and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the mixture shakes like Jell-O but is still quite moist. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.