This pasta recipe from Evan Funke, chef-owner of L.A.’s pasta temple, Felix Trattoria, evokes the flavors of wild herbs that grow on the hillsides around Bologna, is a great way to use up any leftover herbs and greens in your fridge—use as many or as few as you’d like. Fusilli is an ideal magnet for the fine texture of herby spring batutto (which just means a chopped up sauce).
Ingredients
4 servings
1¼
1
1
1
7
5
½
1
Preparation
Step 1
Heat ¾ cup oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium until shimmering. Add garlic, hardy herbs, fennel pollen (if using), and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until oil around garlic starts to sizzle slightly and garlic begins to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes (be careful when you add the garlic as the oil may spatter). Add spring greens and tender herbs and season with a couple pinches of salt. Cook, stirring often, until greens and herbs are wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. Scrape herb mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet; spread out and let cool slightly. Reserve pot.
Step 2
Transfer herb mixture to a blender or food processor and add ½ tsp. salt and remaining ½ cup oil; blend on high speed until you have a coarse purée. Taste pesto and season with more salt if needed.
Step 3
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
Step 4
Scrape pesto back into reserved pot and add pasta and ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid. Set over medium-low heat and cook, tossing vigorously and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until warmed through and pasta is coated (do not let pesto come to a boil), about 1 minute. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Step 5
Divide pasta among bowls. Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, shave parmesan over pasta.
Do ahead: Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water and let cool. Remove bowl with pesto from water; cover tightly and chill.
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Reviews (6)
Back to TopHaving just read the recipe above, and not prepared the recipe, I completely agree with the review below that begins, "I want to start off by saying that I am a huge fan of Chef Funke..." "...this recipe was inedible" - this is what i would expect from this oddly vague recipe. A heaping cup of "rosemary, sage, thyme, and/or marjoram" combined with SIX CUPS of "mint, basil, lovage, celery leaves, and/or parsley" is insane. There's no way this is going to turn out well.
Eric
Grand Rapids, MI
8/10/2022
I want to start off by saying that I am a huge fan of Chef Funke and have eaten at his restaurants many times; I have total confidence in his talent and American Sfoglino is a mainstay in my home. However, this recipe was inedible. I do think it comes down to needing more guidance from the written recipe. I used herbs and greens that were provided, but what resulted was a strange, bitter mess. It was not salvageable. I tried lemon, salt, butter, chili flakes etc. and I could not rescue the flavor. I'm sure someone more savvy may have been able to, but I just thing the recipe should be more specific and the true chefs can riff off of that.
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
4/27/2022
what on earth is fennel pollen? new to me??
Anonymous
Canada
7/6/2021