Gloat over your home-grown herbed pasta salad while sipping a chilled glass of wine.for The Globe and Mail
How are your herbs growing? I hope better than mine – I never have enough basil (I am a basil killer) but do have an abundance of thyme in the garden. Time to kill two birds with one stone by using up the excess herbs to throw together an easy summer meal. Chop your herbs into a bowl of al dente pasta, then add a healthy glug of olive oil or a knob of butter. It looks beautiful, it smells even better and you can gloat over your home-grown meal while sipping a chilled glass of wine.
Ingredients
1 cup basil
4-5 sage leaves
4-5 sprigs of thyme
Pasta
Olive oil
Sea salt
Ground pepper
Method
1. There are no specific measurements, for me it’s more about ratios. You’ll want to use mostly milder herbs such as basil and accentuate with a few sprigs thyme and a few sage leaves for example. Chives are another flavourful herb I like to add in larger quantities. Imagine about 1 cup basil to 4-5 leaves sage and 4-5 sprigs of thyme.
2. Boil pasta till al dente (use any shape that pleases you), drain and toss with olive oil.
3. Chop all herbs finely (for thyme remove from stems before chopping). Add the diced herbs to pasta (be generous) and sprinkle with sea salt and add a hit of fresh ground pepper. Serve warm or allow to cool and serve as a side with grilled meats.
Sue Riedl