Gluten-free nettle pasta with morels – A Cook’s Remedy episode 1
A COOK'S REMEDY – Episode 1 Recipe: "Gluten-free nettle pasta with morels" from Aran Goyoaga on Vimeo.
If you saw on this blog yesterday, I finally announced the video project I am working with that explored my relationship with food and community. “A Cook’s Remedy”
Episode 1 and 2 are live on my new website. And here is the recipe for the first episode, gluten-free nettle pasta with morels.
You don’t have to wait until spring to make this as you could easily use other greens in place of the nettles and any mushroom you might find at your market. Hope you will enjoy it.
Gluten-free nettle pasta with morels
You can find nettles any time between spring and summer. Look for tender, small leaves and be sure to wear gloves when you pick them and handle them until they are cooked. I also recommend you weigh the flours for this pasta recipe as volume measures are not always consistent.
Serves 4
For the nettle pasta
2 cup nettles
1 cup (140 g) superfine brown rice flour
1/3 cup (60 g) potato starch, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for boiling water
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
1. Put on some gloves. Wash the nettles under cold water to remove any dirt or little insects. Trim the tough stems.
2. Have a large pot of boiling salted water ready. Submerge the nettles in the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the nettles and squeeze out excess water. When they are cool enough to handle, chop the nettles finely and set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the superfine brown rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum and salt. Make a mound with the flour mixture on your work surface. Using your finger make a shallow and wide weld in the center of the mound. Crack the eggs and yolks in the weld and add the finely chopped nettles. Gently start whisking the eggs together with a fork. Incorporate bits of the surrounding flour a bit at a time until you have a loose mass of dough. Gather all the dough and knead with your hands until it’s smooth, about 10 minutes.
4. Make a ball and cut the dough into quarters. Take one of the pieces and flatten it between your hands with a bit of potato starch so it doesn’t stick. Keep the rest of the dough covered with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry off.
5. Roll the dough in the pasta maker in the widest setting. Repeat 3 times. Turn the knob to 1 and roll through it another 3 times. Repeat reducing the thickness by one slot until you get the desired thickness (I usually go to 4). Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
6. Cut the strips of rolled dough using the fettuccini setting of the pasta machine. Roll the fettuccini between your fingers to make nests. Cover with plastic wrap and prepare a large pot of boiling salted water.
For the morels
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 head of spring garlic or 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
12 ounces fresh morels, dirt removed
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese, optional
1. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes and add the morels. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. While the morels are cooking, add the pasta into the salted boiling water and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the morels, parsley and chives to the bowl and toss to combine. Serve immediately with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan.
