An aromatic cypress oil is the surprise ingredient in this stuffed pasta, where milk thistle adds an extra layer of flavor to the ricotta and butter filling. Straight from the Casentino Forests, Mater’s version.

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Cappelletto, milk thistle, cypress, and borage

Ingredients:

55 g milk thistle
5 g butter
20 g extra virgin olive oil
150 g ricotta
Nutmeg
Pepper

Steam the milk thistle for 15 minutes, then chop finely. Season with salt. Take 150 g of the chopped milk thistle and mix with the ricotta and nutmeg.

For the cypress oil

100 g cypress
150 g grapeseed oil

Blanch the cypress, cool quickly, and dry. Add the grapeseed oil, freeze, and blend, then strain.

For the borage and dandelion salad:

Borage
Dandelion
Fir vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

To serve:

Make the cappelletti with the filling, cook, and toss in the cooking water and cypress oil. Top with the borage and dandelion salad, and sprinkle with black lemon powder.

Chef’s notes:

Milk thistle takes its name from a legend that tells of white spots on the plant’s leaves being milk stains from the Virgin Mary as she tried to hide Jesus from Herod. It grows wild in Casentino.