Today I'm teaching you how to make pasta for free! Pasta with leurda sauce, meaning wild garlic!

Ingredients

• 100 g Wild Garlic Leaves (Leurdă) (fresh, washed and trimmed)
• 200 g Pasta (e.g., Ratoni Tubes) (any short pasta works)
• 30 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Sicilian extra‑virgin, high quality)
• 30 g Walnuts (or almonds, toasted lightly)
• 30 g Pecorino Romano Cheese (grated; can substitute Parmigiano‑Reggiano)
• 30 g Cream Cheese (softened)
• to taste Salt (prefer sea salt)
• to taste Black Pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions

1. Wash the Wild Garlic

   Rinse the wild garlic leaves thoroughly under cold running water to remove soil and grit. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

   Time: PT5M

2. Blanch the Leaves

   Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the wild garlic leaves and blanch for 1 minute until they turn bright green. Drain immediately and run under cold water to stop cooking.

   Time: PT2M

   Temperature: boiling

3. Prepare the Pesto Base

   Place the blanched leaves, toasted walnuts, grated Pecorino Romano, softened cream cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper into a blender. Pulse until a coarse paste forms, then blend on high for another 10‑15 seconds until smooth but still slightly textured.

   Time: PT5M

4. Cook the Pasta

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente, usually 8‑10 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: boiling

5. Combine Pasta and Pesto

   Return the drained pasta to the pot or a skillet over low heat. Add the wild‑garlic pesto and toss, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta evenly and shines.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: low

6. Serve

   Plate the pasta, drizzle with a tiny extra‑virgin olive oil if desired, and garnish with a sprinkle of extra grated cheese. Serve immediately while hot.

   Time: PT0M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

400

Protein

12g

Carbohydrates

55g

Fat

12g

Fiber

3g