Straw-and-hay pasta gets its name from the two different-colored pastas in the recipe. We’re going extra “green” with the sauce.
Ingredients
½ cup pine nuts
Salt
½ lb. fettuccine
½ lb. spinach fettuccine
1 lb. of bundles of medium-size leaf spinach, stemmed
½ cup vegetable stock
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
A little freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/8 tsp.)
Pepper
6 tbsp. olive oil
⅓ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
Directions
Step 1 In a dry small skillet over medium heat (or in a toaster oven on a small tray), toast the pine nuts, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 2 Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pastas. Salt the water and add the pastas. Cook for 5 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
Step 3 In a food processor, add half of the spinach, the stock, onion, garlic, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until well chopped. With the machine running, stream in the oil. Transfer the spinach puree to a large skillet. Bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the remaining spinach and wilt into the sauce. Add the pastas and cooking water and simmer, tossing the pastas, until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes more. Add the cream and toss to combine. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup Parm and the lemon juice; season. Serve in shallow bowls and top with more cheese and the toasted pine nuts.
