Doughs:
Herb-laminated pasta—pasta embedded with whole herbs—is like edible stained glass. Held up to the light, its pretty patterns dance and glow, and it’s my favorite way to usher in the warmer seasons. Luckily, like most things in pasta, it’s far simpler to make than it looks.
Herb lamination is a modern technique, so creativity is more than welcome. Tender leaves like sage, parsley, mint, basil, stripped thyme, and dill are all great options; skip firm needles like rosemary and avoid tougher stems, which can puncture the pasta during lamination. Edible flower petals, if you can find them, make a stunning addition, too. Know that whatever you choose, the flavor will be subtle, so you can still use dill even if you’re not a big fan (the fronds are especially beautiful here). Stick with small and medium-sized leaves to prevent tears as the dough stretches—large leaves also contain more moisture, which can burst and make the pasta sticky.
Herb-laminated pasta can be used to make any of your favorite sheeted shapes, from farfalle to ravioli.
MAKE THE DOUGH
Make a batch of Standard Egg Pasta Dough or Almost All-Yolk Pasta Dough (here) and let it rest, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for 30 minutes.
SET UP YOUR WORKSPACE
Gather your herbs and remember: Use only small and medium-sized tender leaves, no stems. Set up your pasta machine.
SHEET THE DOUGH
Roll a quarter of your pasta dough into a sheet following the directions here, stopping at the setting suggested for the type of pasta you’re making here.
CUT THE SHEET
Lay the pasta horizontally on your work surface; if using a countertop, dust it with a little 00 or all-purpose flour first. Trim away any uneven ends (ball them up and cover them or save them for soup). Fold the sheet in half crosswise, like a book, make a crease at the midpoint, then unfold it again. Cut the pasta in half along the crease.
ADD THE HERBS
If the dough feels dry, cover one of the pasta sheets with a damp dishcloth and set aside. Scatter the herbs across the other sheet in whatever pattern you like and press them into the dough to adhere.
If the dough feels very dry, spritz it with a little water. Lay the unused half of the pasta on top, sandwiching the herbs between them. Smooth out the air pockets and press down firmly to seal.
ROLL THE SHEET (AGAIN)
Trim a thin strip of dough from the longer sides of the pasta so the sheet is slightly narrower than the width of your pasta machine. Dust both sides of the dough very lightly with 00 or all-purpose flour.
Set your pasta machine back two settings wider than it was before. Roll the sheet through once, then set the machine back to your original setting and roll the dough through again.
VOILÀ—HERB-LAMINATED PASTA!
Shape as desired.
