Please see About Nettles (here). Despite their sting, we love nettles for their musky, dusky flavor, sort of like a deeper-flavored spinach. It’s true they sting when they’re raw, but cooking takes that away, leaving a deep green vegetable that is as good for you as it is delicious. If you can’t find nettles, spinach or another cooking green, such as Swiss chard, could be substituted.
SERVES 4 TO 6
About 3 pounds fresh nettles
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ cup heavy cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whole nutmeg, for grating
About 1 pound (500 grams) bucatini or any long, thick pasta
½ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
Wearing rubber gloves, remove the leaves from the nettle stems and discard the stems. Rinse the nettle leaves in abundant cold water and drain. Handle the nettles with rubber gloves until they are cooked.
In a heavy saucepan large enough to hold all the leaves, melt the butter and add the garlic. Cook the garlic very gently in the butter without letting it brown. Add the cream and nettles and let wilt, pushing the nettles down into the cream and turning with a wooden spoon. Add a pinch of salt, and when the leaves have wilted, grate nutmeg into the sauce—several gratings, or as much as you want. (This sauce can be prepared several hours ahead and reheated when you’re ready to serve.)
When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, Add salt, tip in the pasta, and cook until al dente. Have ready a warm serving bowl. When the pasta is ready, drain and turn it into the bowl. Add the sauce and mix vigorously, then add a little parmigiano and serve immediately, passing more grated cheese at the table.