Easy Fresh Herb and Cheese Pasta
An abundance of fresh herbs is one of the highlights of the huge selection of fresh produce available here in Morocco. While there’s always piles of cilantro, mint, basil, and parsley in any store, lately (spring!) dill has been a major player, too.
For a long time, I thought I didn’t like dill. When I was a kid, my mom used to make a hamburger, potato, and dill soup that I absolutely despised. Eventually, though, I realized that I like lots of foods that contain dill: borscht, those little cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, PICKLES, and–because I’m a classy lady–ranch dressing.
So I figured out it’s not dill I hate; I just hated that soup. But it still took me ages to try cooking with fresh dill. I wasn’t sure I really wanted to commit to a full bunch: after all, fresh herbs go bad pretty quickly.
I did, eventually, take a chance on dill, and that ended up being one of the things that surprised me: it lasts a pretty long time in the fridge! Much longer than the leafy herbs. I was also surprised by how much I enjoy it, and how well it combines with other herbs.
I’ve been making lots of mixed herb dishes, so I decided to share one of my standout recipes: Easy Fresh Herb and Cheese Pasta. It’s super easy, super cheesy, and really quick–great for a weeknight dinner!
Pasta is always great for quick and easy weeknight dinners. I have quite a few I eat regularly that take only about 15 minutes to prepare: Spaghetti Pomodoro, Tapenade Cacio e Pepe, and Vegan Puttanesca.
As you can see, I chose to use gnocchi with this pasta sauce because…well, gnocchi is amazing. Who doesn’t love cheesy gnocchi?! However, I’ve also made it with spaghetti and it’s really good, so any non-delicate pasta shape should work.
Cheesy spaghetti: for when cheesy gnocchi is taking things a step too far.
Notes on the ingredients:
Herbs: As mentioned above, dill is one of the key herbs I like to use in this dish, but pretty much any fresh, spring-y, green herb will work. I’ve been using dill, chives, parsley, and cilantro, but your favorite mix will probably be fine!
Pasta: I’ve used both gnocchi and spaghetti with great success. Rigatoni, penne, bucatini, fusilli, and farfalle would all be good options, too!
Cheese: The herbs are the main star here, so you want a mild and melty cheese (or cheeses) that won’t overpower them but will be gooey and tasty. I use about half gouda and half tomme, as these are really common where I live. However, you could easily use cheddar instead.
Creme fraiche: Creme fraiche is sort of like sour cream but not as thick and sour. I use it when I’m cooking a lot since it’s so common here in Morocco and is creamy, but not as rich as heavy cream. You can substitute it for heavy cream, half and half, or a combination of them. If you don’t want it so rich, then just use additional regular milk instead (though I don’t recommend skim milk!).
Salt: How much salt you will need to add to the finished dish depends on whether your butter is salted, how salty your cheese is, and, of course, your personal preference.
Recipe:
Easy Fresh Herb and Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil on the stovetop. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients: finely mince garlic, chop herbs, and grate cheese.
- Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once it's melted, add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour and stir to combine into a paste with the butter and garlic.
- Gradually add the milk and creme fraiche (if using), stirring constantly to combine with the flour mixture.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and stir while cooking for a few minutes, until the mixture is smooth and has thickened.
- Add cheese and herbs. Stir to melt the cheese and combine the ingredients into a gooey mixture.
- Turn the heat off and add the cooked and drained pasta. Stir to combine the ingredients evenly. Taste and add salt as needed.
