(serves 6-10 people)
- 2 cups rice pasta spirals
- 1 cup soaked sun-dried tomatoes cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (lightly toasted)
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 2 handfuls of nettle leave rinsed in boiling-hot water and chopped
- 2 handfuls cleaned and chopped arugula
- 1/4 lb asiago cheese, grated
- 1/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 or more cloves of crushed garlic (to taste)
- 1/2 cup cold-pressed olive oil
- 1 Tb balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Italian herb mix (or goodies from your garden: thyme, oregano, rosemary, marjoram)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Bring 2 quarts of water to boil, add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 Tb olive oil, then add pasta and cook for 15-20 minutes until done, drain, rinse and let cool. Once the pasta has cooled, add remaining olive oil, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, feta, and asiago. Then add nettle leaves and arugula and remaining ingredients. Toss until completely mixed and adjust seasoning by adding salt or pepper as needed – Enjoy!