Nettle Pasta Recipe - How to Make Pasta with Nettles | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook with nettles? ›

Nettles need to be thoroughly cleaned and de-stung before eating. To do this, the easiest method is blanching them in boiling water and rinsing them afterward, squeezing out the water before sautéing them or adding them into soups or stews. By blanching the nettles, they get cleaned and broken down in one fell swoop.

Nettles must be blanched to remove the sting, so any raw salads are out of the window. Instead, look to recipes which might include cooked spinach leaves - quiches, curries, soups and fish pies, and use as a substitute. The leaves have such big green flavours, they aren't reliant on other ingredients.

In addition, stinging nettle has compounds that may act as calcium channel blockers, which relax your heart by reducing the force of contractions ( 21 , 23 ). In animal studies, stinging nettle has been shown to lower blood pressure levels while raising the heart's antioxidant defenses ( 24 , 25 ).

Nettles should not be eaten once they have flowered but can be cut back to produce young flowerless nettles in no time. A very abundant and under used superfood that is very easy to identify if a little painful to collect without gloves.

Always cook nettles to destroy the stinging acid. Nettles are not suitable for raw salads! Collect the biggest leaves, then wash them in very hot water, neutralising the stinging chemicals and making them safe to eat.

Cooking nettles breaks down the formic acid and renders the plant safe to eat. If you're feeling brave, you can eat them raw if pounded in a mortar and pestle!

Sautéing – Sauté until they look fully cooked, usually about 5-8 minutes. Steaming – place nettles in a colander and steam for 5-10 minutes. The stinging substance in nettles (formic acid) is neutralized with heat and once it is dried.

Roots, seeds, stems and young, tender leaves are all edible. Native Indigenous people use stinging nettle for medicine, ceremony and as a food source. Mature fibrous stems have been used to make rope, cloth and fishing net.

Occasional side effects include mild stomach upset, fluid retention, sweating, diarrhea, and hives or rash (mainly from topical use). It is important to be careful when handling the nettle plant because touching it can cause an allergic rash. Stinging nettle should never be applied to an open wound.

Cautions. Avoid nettles if you have severe kidney disease, are on dialysis, or have fluid retention due to congestive heart failure. Nettles may interfere with blood pressure medication.

Who should not take nettle? ›

Interactions. Pregnant people should not take nettle or drink nettle tea. Due to a lack of research, children under the age of 12 years should also avoid nettle. It is important that people with existing conditions and those who take certain medications speak with a healthcare professional before trying nettle.

The chemical compounds in stinging nettle have a variety of health benefits for women. Because of its astringent characteristics, it can relieve unpleasant premenstrual symptoms including cramping and bloating, as well as reduce blood flow during menstruation.

This co*cktail of essential nutrients contributes directly to healthy, glowing skin and hair. Nettle also contains silica, making hair and nails stronger and promoting hair growth by boosting blood flow.

However, it is important to start slowly, as drinking too much nettle tea can cause stomach upset. Those who are new to drinking nettle tea should start with one cup per day and increase their intake gradually. While nettle tea is safe to drink daily, it is best to limit yourself to two or three cups per day.

Taste: Once cooked, nettles taste like a mix between spinach and cucumber; fresh and wholesome. They make a great addition to dishes, adding a zing of flavour and a splash of colour. Nettle is great in sauces, risottos and soups.

Natural Sources of Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle can be eaten on its own or as an ingredient in foods. Nettle leaves must first be cooked or steamed to destroy the hairs on them, which contain a number of irritating chemicals. Most medicinal uses of stinging nettle use more of the plant than you would typically eat.

Stinging nettle can substitute for spinach in any cooked recipe (they lose their sting when cooked). You can add them to lasagna, make pasta with them, throw them in soups or stews, etc.