Aglio Selvatico e Olio

Hardware

• Large Stock Pot (for noodles)
• Medium Saute Pan: 4-6qt.
• Microplane
• Food Processor
• Spice Grinder (or Mortar & Pestle)
• A Sharp Knife 🙂
• Patience

Ingredients

• 2C Wild baby garlic greens, cleaned and chopped (about a cup), reserve 1-2 stalk for later
• 1C Wild baby garlic bulbs, split (reserve the smallest ones)
• Juniper berries, ground (about 1T), reserve 1-2 berry for later.
• Safflower, grape seed or other neutral oil (enough to make a paste)
• One box pasta: something delicate with a lot of surface-area (angel hair or linguini)
• White wine (about 2 shots)
• Lemon zest
• Asiago – fine shred (optional)
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Start heating a pot of water for the pasta.
2. Start cooking pasta once the garlic paste is congealed

Directions: Paste

1. Process the garlic greens with just enough oil to make a paste, then add the juniper. 
2. If the finished result looks too fibrous, pass through a sieve into a jar.
3. Put the sealed jar in the fridge for about an hour. 

Directions: Cooking

1. In a lightly oiled sauté pan over medium heat, add the reserved stalk and berry and sauté until fragrant.
2. Deglaze with a splash of wine, a ladle of the pasta cooking water, and remove the stalk and berry. 
3. Add the quartered bulbs and sauté until fragrant. 
4. Add the al-dente cooked pasta and 4T of the garlic paste and sauté until creamy. Add a bit more pasta-water to make sure everything flows and coats the pasta.
5. Remove from heat and then plate it, lightly dusting with a pinch of juniper powder, a generous squeeze of lemon, its zest, and asiago powder.