Mountain Herb Pasta
Based on a recipe from Northern Italy, this pasta uses both heated and cooled olive oil to bring out different levels of that floral taste. The mixture of herbs in the dish also brings out a delicious, creamy, yet refreshingly light flavor.
Watch the recipe video here!
Prep time: 5 minutes (to prepare the herbs)
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
7 g parsley (leaves from ~4-5 sprigs)
7 g basil leaves (about 8 leaves)
3 g marjoram leaves (3-4 sprigs)
3 g thyme leaves (~3 sprigs)
3 g oregano leaves (~1 large sprig)
3 g rosemary leaves (1 sprig)
3 g sage leaves (½ large sprig)
3 g mint leaves (~2 sprigs)
8 oz pasta
½ Tbsp pine nuts (toasted)
½ Tbsp ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided into 1 Tbsp each
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper to taste
Steps
De-stem the herbs. For the “hard herbs”-- Marjoram, Sage, Thyme, Oregano, & Rosemary-- pluck the leaves off of the stems and reserve one stem each for later use. For the “soft herbs” -- Basil, mint, and parsley-- remove the thick bases of their stems by twisting them off, but leave the remainder intact. Combine all the leaves in a colander or sieve.
Toast your pine nuts over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and steam the leaves above the liquid in a colander or sieve for 5-7 minutes, making sure to not let the leaves touch the liquid. This will help to soften and revitalize the herbs.
Add the leaves to a food processor or cut by hand until the leaves are finely diced. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, ricotta, and chopped herbs to a bowl and stir until incorporated. Set aside for later.
Bring a skillet to medium-low and the remaining 1 Tbsp of your olive oil.Add the stem of your rosemary, marjoram, sage, Thyme, and Oregano as well as Garlic and cook for 15 minutes.
While the oil is warming, cook your pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente. Try to time it so that it finishes about when the oil is done warming.
Remove the herbs & garlic from the oil and turn up the heat to medium-high. Add some cracked black pepper and move over your pasta along with a ¼ cup of pasta water. Let the pasta cook for the last minute before turning off the heat and waiting 1 minute.
Pour in your cold olive oil, ricotta, and herb mixture, and mix until well incorporated. Serve and enjoy!
