Be careful with the water – too much can over-saturate the dough and make it stick and tear when rolling back through the machine. Lightly touch the pasta sheets with water, so that the herbs adhere to the dough.Use only the leaves, no stems! If you choose strongly flavored herbs, like sage, pick the smaller leaves, so that they don’t overpower each bite.īefore you roll the pasta dough and herbs in the machine: Avoid woody ones like rosemary, which will puncture the pasta sheet and be unpleasant to eat. Use tender herbs like basil, mint, thyme, parsley, and sage.Meryl Feinstein’s Herb Laminated Pasta Tips: Check out the father of modern Italian cuisine, legendary Italian chef, Gualtiero Marchesi, who was famous for his “Ravioli Aperto,” and “Carta di Musica,” a cracker-like bread from Sardinia that is decorated with wild herbs. Basil, chives, spinach, arugula, green onion, baby salad greens, or any combination of fresh herbs/greens will work well.

In a small saucepan, pour in 1/4 cup olive oil and heat over low heat for 60 seconds. Meryl encourages creators to look at some Italian precedents for inspiration. Add in 2 tablespoons salt to the water and cook the pasta according to package directions.

She serves the pasta with an almond pesto. This summer, Meryl suggests trying out a rustic herb-laminated pasta to add some flourish and flavor to pasta sheets. Among her favorites is a corzetti stamp from Romagnoli, a vintage brass-fluted pasta cutter, and a new Sardinian pasta cutter from a friend. Meryl’s kitchen is filled with pasta treasures. Put wilted herbs to work in this saucy pasta recipe. Meryl says it’s better to think of dough as a technique and not a recipe. Soak tiny dried pasta, such as ditalini, in broth or water while you begin preparing the soup’s base. Above all, remember that the way you make the dough is key.

Meryl believes there’s no shame in pasta machines either. For beginners, she recommends starting with Pici, a chubby hand-rolled spaghetti from Siena.

Herbs to put on plain pasta