This is a pasta recipe we made recently that we really, really enjoyed. At first glance, you might think this is just some kind of pesto, but it’s so much more. The sauce is made from three different kinds of greens, which gives it a ton of flavor, and it paired nicely with a unique cheese on top that was new to us – however, if you’re a vegan you can just leave the cheese off and still have an incredibly tasty meal. This pasta (based on a recipe from Bon Appétit) was also fairly easy to make, though tracking down all the ingredients was a little bit of a fun challenge. If nothing else, the herbs here will make your kitchen smell amazing as you prepare this pasta.
To make this, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- An ounce of thyme
- Red pepper flakes
- 5-7 ounces of arugula
- 5 ounces of parsley
- A pound of pasta
- Piave cheese
Start by cooking your pasta, and while you’re waiting pluck the leaves off all your thyme and parsley. Then measure out 3/4 cup of olive oil into a pot or a pan with high sides and warm it over medium heat. Crush a garlic clove and add it to the oil along with the thyme and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.
Stir everything frequently, and once the garlic begins to turn golden after a few minutes add in the arugula and parsley. Stir some more until all the greens are wilted, then remove your pot or pan from the heat.
Pour this mixture into a food processor with another 1/2 cup of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and blend on high until you have an even but chunky sauce. Once the pasta is done boiling, scoop out 2/3 cup of its cooking water before draining it. Place the pasta back in its pot, set the heat to medium-low, and mix with the sauce and the pasta water for just a minute or so.
Finally, use a vegetable peeler to shave slices of Piave cheese, and serve these on top of the pasta.
As we said, this rich and colorful pasta is pretty easy to make. We did have to do some leg work getting the ingredients together, especially since we could only find the Piave cheese at a store in Manhattan, but we viewed it as a special meal that we put care into. What we loved best was how complex the sauce was with all its different flavors, and the cool, salty shavings of cheese on top were a great complement to the warm, savory sauce. We all like greens in these hot summer months, so this pasta can be a great new dish to try out this season.