Fresh Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms

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Homemade pasta is one of those lush and comforting type of foods that I love to do on a regular basis. There is something so wonderful when my hands get to touch the wet pile of eggs and flour and feel the stickiness that through gentle movements turns into a soft ball of dough. The process gives me a child-like feeling. Like the feeling when you find yourself in the middle of an unexpected experience and your curiosity just makes you go for it. You are not sure you can do it. You are not sure why you are doing it. Yet, the doing of it brings you so much joy that you want to do it again. And again. And again. That is how pasta making is for me. I can buy an already made pasta. Dry pasta, or even fresh store bought pasta. Yet, every time I want to go through the messiness and the stickiness and the flour everywhere in my kitchen. And oh, what to do with the left over noodles? So many of them!!! It is totally worth it. Just like life itself...I can get someone else’s version of it. I can read a book about someone else’s experience – then attempt to skip some steps in order to save myself that’s person opinion on perceived struggles. Or, go and experience life myself and see how I feel about it. The bottom line is, making homemade pasta makes my heart happy and brings me joy just as life is.

As a person that cooks often I fall into my loving-this-one-recipe-to-the-end-of-life mode (quite often, lets be honest). However, I try to remind myself that I haven’t tried it all and I don’t know it all, so lets see what other people are doing in their kitchens. And fresh pasta fell into this “I am sticking with my recipe” category for me, but I broke it. I went and tried a different recipe and let me tell you that I was wonderfully surprised because the dough turned out to be soft and silky and yummy. Basically, my new favorite go-to pasta dough thanks to the lovely Rachel form On the Acre.

I met Rachel a few months ago and I loved her instantly. She is one of these passionate people who follows her heart and makes magic with every step she takes. Rachel’s love for growing her own food and making down to earth, simple and true recipes is so transparent in her photography and writing. And if I could describe her with few words it would be: honest and with a heart (all of the profits form her class went to help a friend who is adopting a child from India). Rachel thought me so many things that day in her pasta making class. How to color my pasta with vegetable paste like a tomato and kale (she made the kale paste herself from the kale from her garden!!!). How to use a pasta roller (I am that close to buy one because I got obsessed wit it by the end of class). And how to make wonderful, silky pasta dough only with 2 eggs (my staple old recipe called for 3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg...I see saving money in my future). 

So, if you are wondering what to do for dinner and want to be inspired, head to On the Acre and make this lush, velvety pasta. I guarantee you that you will find your new staple dinner recipe that makes your heart and tummy happy and will give you lots of delicious and envious leftovers for work lunch tomorrow. 

xoxo

Fresh Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms

Sevres 4 (plus some leftover noodles)

Ingredients

• Fresh made pasta. Recipe from On the Acre
• 6 tbsp butter, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups of Chanterelle Mushrooms (about 1/2 pound), brushed clean (halved if large)
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of white wine (rose works too)
• 2 tbsp Crème Fraiche or Mascarpone
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano + extra for serving
• 1/4 cup of shopped fresh herbs (thyme, lemon thyme, oregano, parsley, chives), only parsley or thyme works well too
• Salt + Pepper 

Directions

Fresh Pasta
Follow instructions from On the Acre on how to make the fresh pasta. 

Sauce and Assembly

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and follow the instructions from On the Acre on how to cook the pasta.

2. Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Chanterelles, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are lightly golden, about 5 minutes. If the mushrooms are a bit dry and woody, add a 1/4 cup of water to soften them and cook until the water is fully evaporated. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and set aside. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet and the shallots. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 1 minute.

3. When pasta is ready add the desired amount of noodles for 4 people in the skillet (you might have some leftover cooked noodles, which you can store for the next day or two to enjoy with your favorite sauce). Add a ladle of the pasta water in the skillet and toss gently to mix the pasta with the sauce. Add the cooked chanterelles, toss and let pasta cook for 2 min to let all the flavors come together. Add the Crème Fraiche or Mascarpone + the Parmigiano Reggiano and toss until the sauce becomes lush and creamy. Add a bit more of the pasta water if it seems dry. Add the fresh herbs and toss until fully incorporated. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Divide pasta into 4 pasta bowls and serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

4. Enjoy!

Nettle and Spinach Puree with Poached Egg

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Nettle is one of those magical greens that marks the beginning of spring to me. I grew up eating seasonal produce, which meant that during the winter my diet was heavy on starch, gluten, legumes and meat. So by the end of February I would be dreaming of fresh lettuce, green onions and radishes (basically anything green and fresh out of the ground) and salivating only by the thought of it. I remember eating nettle early in the spring before much other greens were out yet. My mom always made nettle, spinach and sorel soups. And my memories of them were that I either hated them or loved them, but the distinct flavor of nettle somehow stuck with me and now, at a later age, it brings cravings in me like no other. As April approaches I walk like a mad woman through the co-op or the very first farmers market with the hope to spot some nettle tops. And when I finally find them I make the dishes I grew up with to bring those memories back and to satisfy my cravings . Then I venture out to something new to keep creativity alive and to spark ideas and possibilities (see my previous blog post about Nettle Dumplings/Gnudi). My new favorite dish, as of this spring, is this lovely nettle and spinach puree with walnuts, ramps and mint. It is so simple, easy and quick to make and when served with a fresh poached egg it transforms into a luxurious everyday dish like no other. The puree is creamy, velvety and it bursts with fresh spring flavor. The nettle taste is prominent yet balanced by the other ingredients, and the poached egg gives buttery, velvety and rich texture when broken and swirled in the puree.

I say this almost every time and I will say it again this time – I hope you try this wonderful and simple dish and I hope with all my heart that it either inspires you to roam through your local farmers market for some spring veggies or to cook an old spring favorite of yours that sparks wonderful memories of sun, green grass, family and love.

xoxo

P.S. Tell me how it turned out for you.

Nettle and Spinach Puree with Poached Egg

Serves 4

Ingredients
• 2 cups nettle leaves, packed (use gloves when handing since it might sting you)
• 2 cups fresh spinach, packed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 ramps, chopped
• 2 long stems of young spring onion, thinly sliced, reserving the flowers (if you can’t find young onion add an extra ramp) 
• Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts, plus few more for garnish
• Juice of 1/4 lemon
• 4 poached eggs
• Handful of mint leaves

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan heat 2 tbs of olive oil, add nettle, spinach, garlic, ramps, young spring onion (if using) and salt. Using a wooden spoon mix the mixture a few times until the oil coats the greens and they start to wilt. Cook for about a minute or two until the greens are wilted but still fresh and green. Add 3/4 cups of water, bring to a boil and gently simmer for 2 more minutes. Take off the heat and add the mixture into a blender (hand blender works well too) together with the walnuts and the lemon juice. Puree until creamy and lush. If the puree is too thick add a bit more water. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

2. Ladle puree into 4 pasta bowls, place a poached egg in each one, sprinkle with few of the mint leaves, the reserved onion flowers (if using), the extra chopped walnuts and black pepper.

Nettle Dumplings / Gnudi

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Boy it has been hot this week. Like a steaming mid-August hot accompanied by all the humidity and stickiness one could expect in Minnesota with the only difference that was May. I keep reminding myself that we got 16 inches a snow a month ago so I should not be complaining but to be honest, it was damn hot. This Minnesota weather is almost like a temperamental teenager, one day is sweet and lovely and the next day they hate you and the rest of the world. But what is a girl to do. Put a dress on, sunscreen and head out to the farmers market hoping to steal the fast-coming-and-dissapering spring greens.

My most vivid memories of spring are back from the days when I was a temperamental and hijacked by confusing emotions teenager myself. Early springtime my dad, my grandma and I would go to our house in the mountains to plant the veggies for the season. Bringing a little of food with us we would walk the area around the house and the hills collecting wild edible greens – dandelion, spinach, spring garlic and nettle. In a typical teenage fashion, I was so skeptical about all this foraged greenery and I didn’t think it would taste much like anything. But then my grandma would whip them all together in a lovely and simple soup or a risotto topped with plain yogurt and dill instead of cheese and I would lick my fingers off and finish up all of the green goodness on my plate. I couldn’t really figure out what was it about it. Was it the nettle, or the young wild garlic, or the other greens, or the cool mountain air that made every scent and experience intensified by a hundred times. The only thing I know is that I kept eating and immersing myself in these wild and wonderful flavors. It was almost like the young green grass got married to the rain and the wet ground and the fresh air and they created this beautiful thing together that I got to experience and enjoy. So as every winter ends and spring begins I dream of these flavors and hold the wish that hopefully this spring will be long and cool and will last for a couple of months only so I could enjoy, just for a little longer, these wonderful flavors. 

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These pillowy and soft dumplings have a hint of nettle that marries really well with the young spring onion and the garlic/butter sauce. The onion flowers have a wonderful mild oniony flavor and bring the whole dish together, plus they make the plate really pretty!

xoxo

Nettle Dumplings / Gnudi

Sevres 4-6

Ingredients

For the Nettle Dumplings
• 2 cups nettle leaves, packed (use gloves when handing since it might sting you)
• 1 pound (2 cups) fresh ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup of plain flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the Butter Sauce
• 4 tbsp of butter
• 4 long stems of young spring onion, thinly sliced, reserving the flowers (if you cant find the
young onion use 4-5 scallions)
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp of white wine
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp of chopped fresh thyme
• Salt + Pepper 

Directions:

Dumplings

1. Bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil. Turn the heat off, add the nettle (handle with gloves so it doesn’t sting you) and let it sit for 5 minutes. Drain the nettle in a colander and let it sit for a few minutes to cool down slightly. Finely chop the nettle and add to a large mixing bowl together with all the dumpling ingredients. Mix well, taste and add more seasoning if needed.

2. Place the dusting flour in a bowl. Dust a large baking sheet generously. Using two spoons, dip them in the bowl with flour then with one of them scoop a heaping amount of the dumplings mixture and with the help of the other spoon slide the dumpling out on the dusted baking sheet. Repeat until no mixture is left.

3. Refrigerate the dumplings for 30 minutes so they harden and are easier to handle.

Sauce and Assembly

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dumplings in batches (about 2 bathes in my case) and gently cook for 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

2. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick pan add the butter, the garlic, the onions and a pinch of salt, sauté until the onion is soft and the garlic is slightly golden but not burned. Add the wine and cook for 10 more seconds. If you think that your pan will not fit all the dumplings, spoon half of the sauce in a bowl and reserve half of the dumplings. Add the dumplings to the pan and shake the pan slightly to cover the dumplings with the sauce but do not move them around with a spoon since they might fall apart. If the dumplings look dry, add a bit of the dumplings water. Cook for a minute and transfer to a serving plate. Repeat the process with the other half of the dumplings and sauce if you have reserved them. Top dumplings with the lemon rind, thyme, the reserved onion flowers (if using) and sprinkle with black pepper. Serve immediately.