Answer & Recipe!
Great job to everyone who guessed that the picture is of nettles!
Nettles, often called “stinging” nettles, are plants thats leaves are covered with tiny, almost invisible, stinging hairs. Always use gloves when picking and cleaning nettles. Once they are cooked, they no longer sting, and are absolutely delicious- especially when used in pesto. Chef Billy Gallagher, at my New York City restaurant, Becco, makes a delicious pasta, using fresh spring ingredients for his pesto. Here’s the recipe for you to try at home- I hope you enjoy!
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Fusilli with Nettles Pesto and Asparagus
Makes 6-8 servings
3 pounds fresh nettles (1 pound cooked), blanched in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drained and patted dry
1 bunch parsley
¼ cup pine nuts
½ cup Grana Padano
3 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil
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½ bunch asparagus, sliced on the bias, in to ¼ inch-thick pieces
1 ½ pounds fusilli
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To prepare the nettles: With rubber gloves on, pick the nettle leaves from the stems. Wash well under cool water and pat dry. Blanch the nettles in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes, and quickly shock in ice-cold water. Be sure that the leaves are completely dry before making the pesto.
To make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the nettles, parsley, pine nuts, Grana Padano, garlic, and salt & pepper. Pulse together, and add the olive oil in a stream until all the ingredients are well combined.
In a potted of boiling water, blanch the asparagus for a few minutes. Drain and shock in ice-cold water.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the fusilli until al dente. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water.
Add the pasta back to pot and pour in the pesto and the reserved cooking water. Toss in the asparagus pieces and stir well to combine.
Finish with grated Grana Padano and extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I’m not sure if this is the correct place to post a message for Lydia Bastianich. I am looking for a good tasting extra virgin olive oil to cook with and also to dip bread in with some hot pepper. I am hoping you can get back to me on this one. If this is not the correct place please let me know where i can go to post a message. Thank You AnnaMarie.
May 23rd, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Dear Lidia,
Congratulations on your recent Award. I live in Sydney, Australia and have been watching your show for some years now. Initially I began to watch because you remind me somewhat of my mother (Angelina) who passed away in 1999; she was also a magnificent cook, having picked up recipes throughout Europe where she lived in refugee camps for some 12 years before settling in Austria (where I was born) and then migrating to Australia.
I recently found her first daughter, Anna Maria, who was given up for adoption under tragic circumstances in 1958. Anna lives in Connecticut, USA. When she came to visit us in Australia … I showed her your program to give her an indication of what our mom was like… very similar, except of course she was older than you. Well.. imagine my surprise when I watched your show this morning and discovered that you were also a resident at campo San Sabba! If I am correct, you were there from 56 - 58… my mother and Anna were there from 53 - 55… so you just missed being there at the same time. Perhaps this is amazing to no-one but me, but it is quite a coincidence. I will try to find a way of sending a copy of this episode to my sister Anna-it is wonderful that you were able to share some history of San Sabba on your show. Thank you so much, and kind regards,
Lily Holland (nee Krupicova)
May 25th, 2009 at 7:54 am
lidia; my mother at chritmas made little round balls cooked in oil until brown then droped in warm malases and honey and then sprinkled colerful nonpareils on them was very good. need recipefor dough
thank you sal email; kopeli@att.net
November 8th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Your Beef Braised with Beer looked and sounded terrific. I have searched and searched and found a few similar recipes but none that would seem to taste as good as Lydia’s. Can I have the recipe?
November 28th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Lidia,I veiwed one of your cooking segments on Public television,with chef bill gallagher. The receipe I would like is brased pork chops with savoy cabbage and polenta spinach soup.Could you e-mail the receipes. Thank you.