Here is an incredibly minimalist way to deal with tender greens. What is so good about this is that you can taste every single ingredient: nothing really jumps out at you (I suppose I’m warning you that it is subtle).
Ingredients
- 200g dried pasta of your choice
- 75g young leaves of your choice, roughly chopped if large
- 2 heaped tbsp ricotta
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli, plus extra to serve
Method
- 1. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente. If using nettles, blanch them for no more than 20 seconds in the same water (immerse them briefly in a colander).
- 2. Just before the pasta is ready, spoon about 50ml of cooking water into a cup. Mix the ricotta with the water in the cup so it is loose and creamy. Drain the pasta, toss with all the ingredients and season.
- 3. Serve with extra dried chillies and olive oil at the table so people can adjust the taste if they want.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 483kcals, 15.9g fat (3.5g saturated), 14.8g protein, 75.4g carbs, 4.6g sugar, 0.1g salt
Chef's tip
Take the time to look for proper, fresh ricotta from an Italian deli. If you’re stuck with the bland stuff from supermarkets, spice it up. Add a tablespoon or so of grated Parmesan or Pecorino, or simply season it. As for leaves, my ideal mix is all wild: nettles (blanched), wild garlic and wild rocket (the spiky-leafed kind). But you can use anything from baby spinach to young red chard.
Wine Recommendation
Wine note: try an easy-going white, such as South African Chenin Blanc.