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On our first trip to Italy, our host showed us an old house he was restoring, and one of the workers was making lunch when we showed up. He boiled water for pasta over a propane burner, and when it was ready he drained it, added some chopped tomatoes, and stirred in a big dollop of fresh ricotta. Then he offered me a bite.
Here in the U.S., it’s almost impossible to find true ricotta, the stuff that’s “recooked” from the whey left over from making cheese. What’s sold as ricotta is really closer to farmers cheese, a simple fresh cheese made by heating milk and adding something acidic like vinegar to form curds. It’s OK, but it’s nothing like the fresh ricotta you’ll find in Italy, so good you can eat it with a spoon.
The better versions of cottage cheese, allowed to ferment and form curds instead of being acidified, taste more like that true ricotta. The full fat versions usually have some added cream for even more flavor. They’re perfect for a simple pasta dish like this.
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) love the rainy Pacific Northwest, something you may have learned the hard way if you’ve taken a springtime walk along a river and touched their bright green leaves. But along with that sharp, chemical burn they offer the best tasting greens with a savory, umami-rich flavor. Nettles aren’t hard to find, but it’s good to have an experienced forager show you what to pick. Or look for them at the farmers market and even some better grocery store produce sections. We’ve got details on how to process them here.
Recipe
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cups cooked nettles, chopped*
½ pound cooked pasta
½ cup pasta cooking water
1 cup cultured cottage cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher-style sea salt to taste
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to serve
*Substitute arugula if you can’t find nettles, but toss the leaves with the hot pasta to wilt them.
Gently cook the garlic in the olive oil over medium low until it’s fragrant, being careful not to let it brown. Add the chopped nettles and the pasta water. Increase the heat to medium and cook for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the cottage cheese and black pepper. Taste and add salt as needed, serve with the Parmigiano Reggiano.
