Have leftover herbs in your fridge?
Cooking Tips
Add Leftover Herbs to Your Pasta Dough
Impress your guests (and yourself) with this stunningly speckled dough.
By Published Feb. 24, 2023
Sure, you could throw them into a soup, make pesto, etc. . . .
Or you could add them to fresh pasta dough. Fresh egg dough speckled with finely minced green herbs?
Now we’re talking.
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It might sound fancy, but fresh herb pasta is so easy to make. Simply incorporate your minced herbs with your egg mixture before kneading into your flour.
Note: Just be sure to mince the herb thoroughly so that it incorporates smoothly into the pasta dough.
Or, if you’re using your food processor, just throw everything in together all at once. Bing, bang, boom.
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Not all herbs work here. Stick with soft herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, and tarragon. You can stick with just one or use a combination!
Turn it into a game called Guess the Herb.
What sauce should you serve with fresh herb pasta?
You’ll want those bright green flecks to shine, so don’t hide it under marinara. Try our simple Garlic Oil Sauce with Parsley and Pecorino, a browned butter–sage sauce, or even white clam sauce.
Regardless of the herb pasta dish, your guests will be wowed. It’s fresh pasta—but with more personality.
Fresh Herb Pasta
Makes about 1 pound
Total time: 15 minutes
- 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
- 2 large eggs plus 6 large yolks
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, basil, dill, chives, and/or tarragon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1A. For mixing and kneading with a machine: Process flour, eggs and yolks, herbs, and oil together in food processor until mixture forms cohesive dough that feels soft and is barely tacky to touch, about 45 seconds. (If dough sticks to fingers, add up to ¼ cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until barely tacky. If dough doesn’t become cohesive, add up to 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it just comes together; process 30 seconds longer.)
1B. For mixing and kneading by hand: Place flour in large bowl. Using fork, mix eggs, egg yolks, herbs, and oil together in separate bowl, then stir into flour. Using your hands, knead dough in bowl until mixture forms cohesive dough that feels soft and is barely tacky to touch, about 3 minutes. (If dough sticks to fingers after 3 minutes, add up to ¼ cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until barely tacky. If dough doesn’t become cohesive, add up to 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it just comes together; knead 1 minute longer.
2. Transfer dough to clean surface and knead by hand to form smooth, uniform ball, 1 to 2 minutes. Shape dough into 6-inch-long cylinder. Wrap with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.