Pasta with Fresh Herbs Recipe
Pasta con Erbette Fresche – An Easy Italian Recipe for Summer
The Local Aromas Italian recipe series continues with this deliciously simple family recipe.
This quick, tasty, recipe is perfect for the hot temperatures of summer in Italy. It combines the wonderfully fresh flavor of herbs, a background hint of garlic, the fruity tang of good extra virgin olive oil and the savory hit of parmigiano. Italian food is all about ‘less is more’ and this recipe uses just a few ingredients to allow the fresh flavors to truly shine. And the best thing is that, aside from boiling the pasta, there is no cooking required!
The choice of herbs is up to you but stick to fresh, not dried, and chop everything as finely as possible. Good options include basil, oregano, marjoram, sage, chives, and rosemary. Calculate approximately one handful of mixed herbs per portion. If you have time, leaving the herbs and garlic to infuse in the olive oil for an hour will increase the overall flavor. The type of pasta is also your choice, but a long thin shape is best, or you could cut down the preparation time by using fresh fettuccine or tagliatelle.
Pasta con Erbette Fresche – Pasta with Fresh Herbs
Serves 4
360 g long pasta (spaghetti)
4 handfuls of mixed, fresh herbs
1 clove garlic
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Parmigiano, to serve
Finely chop the mixed herbs and garlic clove, place in a bowl and mix in the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cover and leave to infuse for one hour.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions until just al dente. Drain the pasta and, while hot, toss in the herby oil until well-coated.
Divide into four dishes and sprinkle generously with grated parmigiano before serving.
Buon appetito!
For more family recipes, check out the Local Aromas blog and our foodie sisters video series.
