Coming home from a few lovely days in the country /
The heavy air washes away the weekend breeze /
There’s not much in the kitchen /
Some ramp pesto squirreled away in the freezer /
A few walnuts cracked /
Spaghetti and parmigiano always in the house /
Rosé /
Home. It doesn’t take much.
***
I was lucky enough to have ramp pesto left in the freezer, but this works perfectly well with traditional basil or any other pesto. I always buy fresh pesto (in the refrigerated section) rather than the jarred long-conservation kind, and store it in the freezer so there is always pesto in the house.
Spaghetti, 100g per person
Ramp pesto, one generous tablespoon per person
Walnuts
Wedge of parmigiano (not grated)
*
Bring a large pot of well salted water to boil. Coarse sea salt works well for this; the water should be as salty as sea water.
In a small saucepan, gently heat the ramp pesto until it is warm but not hot.
Crack the walnuts.
Using a vegetable peeler, cut the parmigiano into thin shavings .
Once the water boils, carefully slide in the spaghetti. Cook in a heavy boil. Start checking the pasta regularly after about 8 minutes (by carefully taking one out and eating it). Drain quickly in a colander as soon as the pasta is just al dente (or to desired consistency) and return immediately to the pot used for boiling the pasta (one could use another pot but it’s much simpler this way). **It is important not to overdrain the pasta. If it is too dry it will become sticky.** Quickly drizzle generously with good olive oil so the pasta doesn’t stick.
Stir in the pesto and combine well. Plate the pasta, add the walnuts and parmigiano on each plate individually. Eat.
*
Related posts
At the market | Ramps (ramp pesto)
Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, mozarella, and basil
Nettle and Quince 