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Tagliatelle with Nettle and Pine Nut Sauce





Total Time
50 mins

At Delfina in San Francisco, Craig Stoll serves this delicate, fresh-tasting sauce over house-made nettle pasta. Nettles, which grow wild in many parts of the West, have small stinging hairs when raw, but once cooked, they’re safe to touch.

Greens: Tagliatelle with Nettle and Pine Nut Sauce (0112)




Photo by Yunhee Kim; written by Elaine Johnson
 1 pound stinging nettles* (or use 1 1/2 qts. coarsely chopped mustard greens with stems and ribs removed, plus 1 lb. baby spinach leaves)
 12 ounces tagliatelle pasta
 1/3 cup unsalted butter
 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  About 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Step 1
1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill the sink with water. Wearing rubber gloves, pull nettle leaves from stems into sink. Swish to rinse; drain. Add nettles to boiling water. Simmer until soft, 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water, and squeeze out water. Whirl in a food processor until smooth.

Step 2
2

Cook pasta as package directs. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in pot used for nettles. Whisk in nettle purée, salt, and 1 cup hot pasta water; keep warm over low heat.

Step 3
3

Drain pasta, reserving about 2 cups water. Add pasta to pot of sauce and toss with 3/4 cup parmesan, half of pine nuts, and some reserved water if needed so it's loose-textured. Transfer to a shallow bowl and sprinkle with remaining pine nuts and a little more parmesan if you like.

Step 4
4

*Find nettles at farmers' markets. (They grow wild in many areas too.)

Step 5
5

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 610Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 37g57%

Saturated Fat 13g65%
Cholesterol 54mg18%
Sodium 806mg34%
Total Carbohydrate 52g18%

Dietary Fiber 10g40%
Protein 20g40%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.