Finders Keepers

Nettle Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients for pasta:

• About 1/2 pound of stinging nettle
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached white flour 

Directions:

1. Remove the leaves from the nettle plants and discard the stems. Rinse the leaves and place them in a pot of boiling water (or steam them) for 60 seconds. Remove from water and immediately rinse in cold water. (Save the cooking water for the pasta). Squeeze all the water out of the leaves.
2. In a food processor, puree the nettles, olive oil, and 1 egg until smooth. You should end up with about 3/4 cup of nettle puree. Don't worry if it's a little more or less than this amount.
3. Shape the flour into a mound on a clean countertop. Make a well in the center.
4. Crack the second egg into the well, then add the nettle puree. With a fork, gradually mix the egg and nettles into the flour from the inside out, pushing in the outer edges with your hand as you mix, if need be.
5. As soon as the dough is not too sticky to handle, begin to knead it with your hands until the flour is integrated into the dough and you can gather it into a ball.
6. Knead it for an additional 10 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour. If it's too dry, add a little water. It should be a firm dough, not sticky, but not dry or cracking at the edges.
7. After kneading, cover the dough with a dam towel and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
8. After the resting period, cut the ball into 4 pieces. If using a pasta machine, follow the manufacturer's instructions. If using a rolling pin, roll the dough as thinly as you can without it breaking up. Sprinkle a little flour so doesn't stick.
9. Once you have a nice thin sheet of pasta, sprinkle a little more flour on top. You can either cut it flat with a knife if you are good at cutting in straight lines. Or you can roll up your pasta sheet like a cigar and then cut across into 1/4 inch thick noodles.
10. Unravel your pasta strands and sprinkle a little flour on them so they don't stick together. Repeat with remaining 3 balls of dough until all the dough has been rolled out and cut into fettuccine.
11. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (you can use the same water that you cooked the nettles in)
12. Cook the pasta in the boiling water only until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes.
13. Top with you favorite alfredo sauce.