Cattail Pollen Spaghetti with Wild "Oregano"

Name: Cattail Pollen Spaghetti with Wild "Oregano"
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 people
Ingredients: 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour; 3 to 4 tablespoons cattail pollen; 1 egg; About 1/2 cup water; 2 to 3 tablespoons coyote mint; olive oil; salt and black pepper; A squeeze of lemon; grated cheese

User Reviews

5.0

15 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
mins
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings
6 people
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Cattail Pollen Spaghetti with Wild "Oregano"

Elizabeth Hodge

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There is really no substitute for the cattail pollen in this recipe. However, you can make a very nice yellow pasta with either a lot of egg yolks or with some saffron crumbed into warm water. Similarly, there is no exact substitute for coyote mint, but many of North America's native monarda and monardella species, collectively known as "bee balms," work fine. You might have it in your garden. You can also sub in a little mint mixed with a little oregano, or just just straight-up oregano. T his would be the place for that really expensive olive oil you have on your counter, by the way.

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Ingredients

Servings

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 to 4 tablespoons cattail pollen
1 egg
About 1/2 cup water
2 to 3 tablespoons coyote mint, mountain pennyroyal, some other monarda or monardella, i.e., bee balm; or just oregano
olive oil
salt and black pepper
A squeeze of lemon (optional)
grated cheese (optional)

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Instructions

To make the pasta dough, whisk together the flour and cattail pollen in a large bowl. Form a well in the center of the flour and add the egg and water. Start mixing the dough with your finger or a fork: Depending on your flour, the humidity of the day, etc., you might need some more water. You want a shaggy mass to form in the bowl. Start kneading it into a dough ball in the bowl, making sure to pick up all the floury bits stuck to the sides.
Move the dough out to a floured work surface and knead well for 5 minutes. Form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Set this on the counter for 1 hour to hydrate.
Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Take one, leaving the rest under the plastic wrap. Flatten it out with your hands and then roll it out on a pasta maker or with a rolling pin. I use an Atlas pasta maker. Don't roll the pasta too thin: You want it to be about 1/8 inch thick, which is about No. 5 on my machine (No. 9 is the thinnest). Flour the sheets well and lay them to dry a bit on a work surface. When you are done with all the dough, run the sheets through the spaghetti attachment, which usually comes with the Atlas. If you don't have one, cut the noodles into thin ribbons with a sharp knife.
Gently toss the pasta with some more flour and lay on a sheet pan or wooden board to dry.
To finish the dish, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make the water taste salty. Get a large saute pan, put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it and turn the heat to medium-high. Boil the pasta, using tongs to make sure the strands do not stick to each other. When the pasta floats to the surface, cook it another 30 seconds or so and then move it to the saute pan with the oil.
Toss the pasta in the hot oil and add the coyote mint (or other minty-oregano type herb). Turn off the heat the move everything to a large bowl. Toss with some black pepper, grated cheese, a little more olive oil and maybe a squeeze of lemon. Serve at once.