 |
(Photo: Kang Kim for New York Magazine. Illustrations by John Burgoyne.) |
Prized by foragers, seasonally minded cooks, and, according to some people, anyone who suffers from anemia, baldness, or gout, the wild stinging nettle has a whiff of danger about it. Upon contact, tiny hairs release chemicals that cause skin irritation, which is why you need gloves to handle them. But cooking renders the tender leaves harmless, and, as demonstrated in the following recipe from Sara Jenkins, quite delicious.
Sara Jenkins's Bucatini with Nettles
1 pound bucatini or any pasta (Jenkins recommends the Setaro or Latini brands)
1 pound nettles (available at Paffenroth Gardens at the Union Square Greenmarket)
Half cup heavy cream
Whole nutmeg for grating
Half cup grated Parmigiano- Reggiano
Salt and pepper
(1) While wearing gloves, pick nettles off stems and blanch in boiling salted water for about a minute. Drain and roughly chop. While the pasta is cooking, heat cream in a large sauté pan. (2) When it starts to simmer, add nettles. Let cream and any nettle liquid reduce by half. (3) Toss hot cooked bucatini with the sauce and add a grating of fresh nutmeg, grated cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Email
Print
Eight Year-End Films Vie for Oscar Contention
Sondheim and Lansbury on a Lifetime in Theater
The Black Keys Release Their Hip-hop Debut 
How the BQE Became an Artistic Muse
On Great Jones Street, Shopping Is Art 
Classic Fare, Old-world Charm at Le Caprice
Buy a Brownstone for Less Than $1 Million
Fifty of the City's Tastiest Soups
Reasons to Love New York 2009
New York Politicians Refuse to Quit
A-Rod Has Babe Ruth in His Sights
McCain Yields to the Party's Pressure
