Stinging nettle triangoli

STINGING NETTLE TRIANGOLI SERVED WITH MORELS, ASPARAGUS & WATER BUFFALO RICOTTA

Albert Ponzo, executive chef at The Royal Hotel, Canada

“These ingredients are all found on our native (Canadian) soils and the techniques represent my experiences past and present.”

Photo: Johnny C.Y. Lam

Photo: Johnny C.Y. Lam

INGREDIENTS

For the pasta:

  • 4 tbsp. olive oil

  • 4 cups flour

  • 140 grams stinging nettle leaves

  • 4 whole eggs

  • 1 tsp. salt

For the filling:

  • 1½ cups buffalo ricotta, drained

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 200 grams stinging nettles leaves cleaned from stem

  • 1 egg

  • salt to taste

Putting it together (serves 4 people)

  • 400 grams nettle triangoli

  • 1 handful morels

  • 8 spears asparagus

  • ½ cup butter, cubed

  • 1 shallot, finely diced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • ¼ cup white wine

  • 1 tbsp. parsley, torn

  • 4 tbsp. grated parmesan

METHOD

Making the pasta:

  1. Wearing gloves, strip nettle leaves from their stalks.

  2. Sauté the stinging nettle leaves in a hot pan with olive oil, lightly salt and cover. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender. If they appear too dry before they finish cooking, add a touch of water.

  3. Once cooled, squeeze out excess water. Transfer to a blender with the eggs and purée until smooth.

  4. Sift flour and salt onto the table in a mound and create a well in the middle. Add the egg/nettle purée. Starting with a fork, work the purée into the flour until amalgamated. Then begin kneading the dough until it is stiff. The pasta will look rough at first but will smooth out as it rests. If you find the pasta is not coming together, you can moisten your hands to help persuade the dough to become a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes. If resting longer, refrigerate dough.

Making the filling:

  1. Repeat steps 1 and 2 from making the pasta section to prepare the nettle leaves.

  2. Once cooled, squeeze out all the excess water from the nettles. Roughly chop them in 1 inch pieces.

  3. In a clean bowl, mix together the drained ricotta, nettles, salt, egg, and garlic. Season with salt. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Filling the triangoli:

  1. Roll the pasta through a pasta sheeter until you reach the lowest setting. Cut 7cm. x 7cm. squares and place a small mound of filling in the centre of each square, leaving a 2cm. border. Egg wash the border and fold the square, corner to corner, gently sealing around the filling to let out any excess air.

  2. Dust the completed triangoli with flour and place on trays between parchment.

Serving it up:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil

  2. Clean morels thoroughly by soaking in cold water. Drain and cut into ½ inch rings.

  3. Quickly blanch the asparagus in the boiling, salted water for 1 minute or until barely cooked. Cut them into 1 inch pieces.

  4. Boil the triangoli for 3-5 minutes until the pasta is al dente.

  5. Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Once the butter starts to brown, add the shallots, garlic, and morels. Add the white wine off the heat and stir quickly to ensure the wine doesn’t boil over. Once the bubbling subsides, return to the heat and add the asparagus.

  6. Remove the triangoli from the cooking water with a spider or a slotted spoon, and add to the pan. Add some pasta water to make the sauce, as well as grated parmesan, parsley and test for seasoning.

  7. Evenly divide the triangoli onto 4 plates or bowls.

  8. Garnish the plate with more parmesan and any spring edibles you may have foraged. You can substitute the garlic for young green garlic, or the shallots for wild leeks. Serve and enjoy.

This recipe is currently also printed in Watershed Magazine.