Add Fresh Herbs to Pasta

Adding a handful of fresh herbs and edible flower petals to dough will infuse pasta with so much flavor that the only additions you need to turn the dish into a meal are a little butter (OK, a lot of butter) and grated cheese.

Here’s how to grow your own herbs to make homemade Calendula and Parsley Pasta.

Above: The herb-infused pasta is dressed simply with olive oil, butter, and shaved pecorino cheese. Some reserved chopped parsley and calendula petals are sprinkled on the edge of the plate, as well. Photograph by Mimi Giboin for Gardenista.

Above: Parsley seed can be sprouted on a window sill. Seeds need warmth — and patience — to germinate (they could take three weeks to sprout). Soak Dark Green Italian Parsley seeds overnight in warm water before sowing thinly just below the surface in an organic seed-starting mix (to make your own, mix equal parts of sand, perlite, and peat). Add a spoonful each of superphosphate and of dolomitic lime to fertilize. A packet of seeds is $1.75 from Landreth. Image by Melkmeisterin, via Flickr.

Above: The common name for Calendula is pot marigold. Easy to grow, it is a Mediterranean native best sown directly in the garden, in partial shade or full sun. Harvest the pedals individually to use in recipes. Image via Frugally Sustainable.

Above: Wash and dry leaves and petals before chopping. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.

Above: A handful of rough-chopped parsley and flower petals to dough before rolling it out. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.

Interested in more ways to incorporate garden ingredients into your dinner? See Gardenista‘s posts What You Can Do With a Loquat and An Instant Herb Garden.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Faith B.

3:59PM PDT on Aug 18, 2012

Great article, thanks for sharing...

August 18
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Melissa F.

1:03PM PDT on Aug 10, 2012

yummy, looks good!!!!

August 10
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Pinke A.

7:11PM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

Makes me hungry,just to think about that!

August 7
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Heidi A.

12:32AM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

I grow basil to go with the tomatoes I grow. Both very, very easy and satisfying results.

Michele W.

8:08AM PDT on Aug 6, 2012

Thank you

August 6
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Loo S.

3:13AM PDT on Aug 6, 2012

thanks

A N M.

10:14AM PDT on Aug 5, 2012

Sounds delicious

August 5
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Sheila C.

5:48PM PDT on Aug 2, 2012

adding things into pasta was fun (we have a pasta maker) but now we are on gluten free diet :( but still brings back those fond memories!

August 2
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Laurie D.

2:12PM PDT on Aug 2, 2012

Though I am not wild about making my own pasta -- gluten free isn't all that fun to make! I AM interested in growing my own herbs and spices -- and heirloom tomatoes! I live in an apartment, but want to garden with what space I have!