Rosemary Lemon Pasta

rosemary lemon pasta rosemary lemon pasta

A trip to Italy is in the works. Did I just say that? Ok, an idea of a trip to Italy is in the works. You’re the second to know… I just informed Jack the other night.

Even though we have a long list of places we have not been to, somehow every few years we (the royal we) feel a calling to go back. Whenever I even hear someone mention a trip to Italy, I become insane with travel envy.

So you can imagine the kind of envy I felt when I heard the story of a couple who moved to the Italian countryside, restored an olive grove and started an artisanal olive oil business. (and with the cutest designs for their packaging, I might add!).

rosemary lemon pasta

I had the privilege of trying an assortment of their olive oils, sent quarterly, from the Nudo Adopt an Olive Tree program. My favorite (surprise, surprise), was the one flavored with stone ground lemons. It was absolutely perfect for a simple pasta like this. Which I enhanced, of course, with more lemon. And lemon zest.

It’s as if I love lemons or something.

rosemary lemon pasta

 
Author:
Serves: serves 2
Ingredients
  • 4-6 ounces spaghetti or linguini pasta
  • (reserve some pasta water)
  • ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 cups chopped collard greens, stems removed
  • ½ -1 clove minced garlic
  • 1-2 lemons (plus some zest)
  • a few tablespoons olive oil
  • a dab of butter (optional)
  • sliced almond, toasted
  • red pepper flakes
  • salt
Instructions
  1. Cook your pasta in salty boiling water until al dente.
  2. While your pasta cooks, get out a medium/large skillet and toast the panko, rosemary and a pinch of salt. When the panko starts to brown a little bit, remove it from the pan and set aside.
  3. Wipe out the pan and add drizzle of olive oil, the collard greens, a few pinches of salt, a bit of garlic and a good squeeze of lemon. Cook until they're mostly wilted (a few minutes). Add the pasta, and toss with a small dab of butter, a squeeze of lemon, and some reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen it up. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
  4. Remove from heat and toss with the rosemary-panko mixture, toasted almonds, a bit of lemon zest and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Taste, adjust seasonings.
Notes
Feel free to sub other greens (kale, chard, etc), and other herbs. If you add leafy herbs (such as basil), add it at the very end, rather than toasting it with the breadcrumbs.

(this post is in partnership with Nudo Italia, all opinions are my own).

36 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

    • jeanine
      04.23.2013

      ha, thanks Bev 🙂

  1. Perfect timing. I have tons of fresh rosemary in my garden and was running out of ideas of what to do with it. Great recipe.

  2. Oh, wow… I want to move to Italy and start something magical too!! Italy is one of my favorite places on the planet. This oil sounds ridiculously amazing…

  3. Tieghan from halfbakedharvest.com
    04.22.2013

    I would kill to go to Italy! I hope you get to go sometime soon!
    This pasta is amazing! Rosemary and lemon and a little kick from the red pepper flakes! YUM!

  4. Kathryne from cookieandkate.com
    04.22.2013

    I love fresh pasta dishes like this one! That olive oil packaging is SO cute.

  5. You should probably be the first to know I plan on hiding in your suitcase for this Italy trip! I lived there for a year and I really need to get back 🙂

    This pasta is the prettiest thing I’ve seen all day… and I really need a plate in front of me right now.

  6. OK I am jealous of that trip and I am jealous of this pasta! I want both of them 🙂
    Good luck planning, cannot wait to read all about it.

  7. Kathryn from londonbakes.com
    04.22.2013

    I haven’t been to Italy for a couple of years and this definitely has me dreaming of a trip there and eating a gorgeous bowl of this pasta with a glass of pinot grigio. Lovely.

  8. Emilia from emilialiveslife.wordpress.com
    04.22.2013

    Gah, this looks delicious! I’m not really a huge fan of pasta, but I could make an exception for this meal. I should also note, that it looks more exciting than anything I’ve eaten in Italy during the past year I’ve been studying here. Good luck planning a trip 🙂

  9. Julia from beautyandsomebeef.com
    04.22.2013

    Boy does this look good! I put lemon on EVERYTHING and rosemary is my favorite too! Can’t wait to make this!

  10. I love Italy too! My husband and I went there for 3 weeks in August for our honeymoon, it was amazing! We traveled all over and had some of the most amazing food I’ve ever tasted.
    When we were in Tuscany I wanted to stay here (http://www.la-bandita.com/?page_id=2) but we just didn’t have enough time. If you go back you should definitely check this place out it looks amazing.
    xo Quinn
    Quinn Cooper Style

  11. Anne from thehillsarealiveblog.com
    04.22.2013

    So simple and looks so yummy!

  12. Oooooh yum….another gorgeous, delicious-sounding recipe! Love kale, so will likely swap that in for the collard greens. I’ll also likely make this with whole wheat noodles…or what do you think of soba noodles? Not sure how it’d go with the rosemary, but I tend to like whole-grain pastas and noodles. I did post this to our “Pastas & Noodles” Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/deliciouskarma/pastas-noodles

    • jeanine
      04.22.2013

      I think either would be just fine. I’ve also been into quinoa noodles lately and I always love brown rice noodles.

      • Quinoa noodles sounds great! I’ve had quinoa pasta, but haven’t actually tried noodles. I’ll have to do that! Brown rice noodles are a great idea as well. Thanks!

  13. kendra
    04.22.2013

    You had me at “rosemary”…there is a 100% chance i will make this!

    • jeanine
      04.23.2013

      thanks Kendra, hope you like it!

  14. This recipe sounds like a nice twist on an old favorite! I love anything spiced up with rosemary! I have to print this out! =)

  15. This sounds amazing! Coworkers are bringing in lemons by the bag full around these parts and I’ve been looking for something to do with them all. Thank you for the great recipe!

    xo,
    Ashley

    • jeanine
      04.23.2013

      Thanks!

      Lemons by the bag full – not a bad problem to have 🙂

  16. Another recipe of yours that I want in front of me ASAP. The olive oil packaging is perfection. What an amazing company! Good luck with the planning….I have trip-planning envy! 🙂

    • jeanine
      04.22.2013

      I know I just love it… total design envy!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.