Pasta with butter braised nettles - Test 1

https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/orecchiette-butter-braised-nettles/

1 - Very successful and suspiciously similar to my Arugula Pasta recipe. I shall have to compare.

2 - It was very nice, but this time the nettles clumped when I cut them up. I blanched them, turned them out onto a board and diced the clump of blanched leaves. I thought they would just come apart while cooking them in the pan and they did not. Next time I will chop them up while they are fresh and instead of blanching them, I will add water to the fry pan to cook them down.

3 - It was a bit dry. I had all 12oz of nettles etc. but I used spaghettini (another variation which might have an impact. But when I compared this recipe with the Arugula Pasta recipe, I noticed that there is an 8oz difference in the quantity of pasta used. So, before I change the type of pasta, I will try reducing the ratio of pasta-to-nettles and sauce. Oh, and cooking the nettles with water added to the pan seemed to work just fine. And is more fun to do.

2 servings

12 oz. (375 g) stinging nettles
2 Tbsps butter
2 Tbsps good olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small fresh hot chile, minced, or a generous pinch of red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt, to taste
1 lb. (500 g) 8oz spaghettini (or dried orecchiette or other short, sturdy pasta)
3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) grated pecorino romano cheese

1. Roughly chop the nettles (I use tongs to hold them while I chop, you could use gloves). Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Wearing gloves to prevent stinging, cut the tough stems off the nettles and rinse well. Using the gloves or tongs, place in the boiling water and blanch until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and let cool, then chop coarsely. Fill the pot with fresh water, salt generously and bring to a boil. 
2. Boil the pasta in plenty of lightly salted water. 
3. While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil, butter, and minced garlic to another large pot or skillet, along with the red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
4. Add the nettles, a handful at a time, using tongs to toss the greens to coat with the oil. 
5. Add 1 tsp. salt and up to a ½ cup of the pasta water to achieve the desired sauciness. 
6. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes.
7. Drain, reserving another ½ cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) of the cooking water. 
8. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the greens and toss well to combine. 
9. Add a splash or two of the pasta-cooking water to loosen the sauce, if needed. 
10. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the pasta and toss again. Divide among 2 shallow bowls, garnish each serving with some of the remaining cheese and serve immediately.