With spinach-tinted handmade pasta and added depth of flavor thanks to a few trusty herbs, spices and alliums, Tucker Ricchio shows what happens when a professional chef gets their hands on the year's most searched TikTok food trend. Though this pasta takes slightly longer than the kids on TikTok's attention span can likely handle, its delicious flavor will transport you to an afternoon spent enjoying dinner on vacation by the Mediterranean sea, well worth the extra effort. (Plus, the fresh pasta can be subbed with your favorite short-shelled boxed variety in a pinch!)
½ bunch basil, cut to a chiffonade (or thinly sliced)
¼ bunch parsley, leaves chopped
1 shallot
3 garlic cloves
7 ounces feta
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili flakes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
Balinese Truffle Salt (or substitute kosher salt)
1 jar Truffle Carpaccio (optional)
Directions
To make the fresh pasta
Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath.
Blanch and shock the spinach by placing it in the boiling water, then immediately transferring it to the ice bath. Remove from the ice bath, squeeze out the water very well, and transfer to a blender with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Blend just until a vortex forms. The remaining mixture should be thick and bright green.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the spinach purée with the egg yolks and a pinch kosher salt. You should have just enough purée for this.
Set aside ¼ cup flour for your “bench flour.”
Lay the remaining heaping 1½ cups flour on your counter and make a well in the center. Add the spinach puree mixture to the center of your well.
Using your index finger or a fork, mix the wet mixture into the flour until shaggy.
Knead the dough until smooth, about 5-8 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest on the counter for 30 minutes, or, ideally, in your refrigerator for 2 hours.
When the dough has rested, roll until it's thin enough to read a piece of paper through it. Cut into your desired pasta shape.
To make the sauce
Preheat your oven to 425F.
Peel and halve the shallot. Mince on half, leaving the second half in tact.
Peel and mince one garlic clove. Use the palm of your hand or back of your knife to crush the remaining two cloves, leaving the skin on.
Add the feta to the center of a medium baking dish. Spread the tomatoes around the feta, then add the ½ un-minced shallot and crushed garlic. Sprinkle on the black pepper, dried oregano, chili flakes, and a pinch of Balinese Truffle Salt, then drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
Bake until the feta is melty, about 20 minutes.
To assemble
Fill a large pot with water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, season with kosher salt
Add the pasta and cook until al dente (according to the package instructions, or about 2 minutes for fresh pasta).
Strain, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta’s cooking water.
In a large sauté pan, stir together the remaining olive oil, minced shallot and garlic, and a pinch of salt until fragrant.
Add the white wine and reduce until au sec, or nearly dry.
Add the baked feta mixture and cooked pasta into the pan. Stir, adding pasta water to thin as necessary.
Adjust seasoning with Balinese Truffle Salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Add the herbs, garnish with sliced Truffle Carpaccio, and serve hot! This pasta is trendy so don’t forget to take that pic for the gram and tag @littlecheftucker!
