Author Notes
I love everything about Italian salsa verde - the salty capers and anchovies, the bright herbal notes, the piquant raw garlic and lemon. This quick and flavorful weeknight pasta is my interpretation of the rustic classic using herbs from my garden. Before planting sweet mace I had never heard of it before, much less tried it. Similar to French tarragon, use sweet mace or Spanish tarragon sparingly; you'll be surprised at how much citrusy-licorice flavor only a few leaves impart. —gingerroot
Ingredients
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1/2 pound
spaghetti
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3 sprigs
Italian parsley, chopped
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2 sprigs
dill, chopped
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5-6
leaves, sweet mace
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6
chives, chopped
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1
anchovy, minced
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4
niçoise olives (or picholine), pitted, chopped
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1 teaspoon
capers, drained, rinsed, minced
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1 1/2 teaspoons
meyer lemon juice
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2
cloves garlic, minced
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3 tablespoons
good quality extra virgin olive oil
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1/4 cup
slivered almonds, toasted
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freshly grated parmesan
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black pepper to taste
Directions
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions on package, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water. Drain in colander and set aside.
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Combine parsley, dill, sweet mace, chives, anchovy, olives, capers and garlic in a bowl. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Stir to combine.
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Put cooked pasta in a large serving bowl. Add herb mixture, tossing to mix. Add reserved cooking water as needed if pasta is too dry.
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Top with parmesan cheese, slivered almonds and black pepper to taste, tossing to combine.
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Serve and enjoy.
My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love.
Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.
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