matcha pasta — hear me out

Right so I know this sounds like a bit much but I've been thinking about matcha pasta for a while and last night I finally just did it. And honestly? Oli had seconds, which basically never happens with anything I describe as 'experimental'. The base is a simple lemon ricotta sauce — no cream, just good ricotta, lemon zest, a tiny bit of pasta water to loosen it. The matcha goes into the pasta dough itself, which gives it this subtle earthy thing that works really well against the brightness of the lemon. I used about a teaspoon of culinary grade matcha per 100g of flour. You don't taste it as matcha exactly — it just adds a slight bitterness that stops the whole thing from being cloying. What you need (2 portions): - 200g '00' flour - 2 eggs - 1 tsp culinary grade matcha - 150g good ricotta - Zest of 1 lemon + a squeeze of juice - Small handful of frozen peas (I know, I know — they're in season right now at the market though so use fresh if you can) - Salt, black pepper, a bit of extra virgin olive oil - Optional: toasted pine nuts, fresh basil Roughly how I made it: Mix the flour and matcha together first so it distributes evenly, then make a well and add the eggs. Knead until smooth — about 8-10 minutes — then rest it wrapped for 30 mins. Roll it out thin and cut into pappardelle-ish strips, nothing precise. Cook in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. While that's going, mix the ricotta with lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper. Add a splash of pasta water to make it silkier. Toss the pasta through it, throw the peas in (blanched briefly if fresh), finish with olive oil and pine nuts if you've got them. Nutritionally speaking, this is a decent balance — you've got complex carbs from the pasta, protein from the eggs and ricotta (around 22g per portion), and the peas add a bit of fibre. Approximate calories around 480-510 per serving depending on toppings. Not a light meal but a genuinely nourishing one, and the portion is filling without being heavy. The trick is not overcooking the pasta. Fresh pasta goes from perfect to sad very quickly so watch it. Two minutes, taste, maybe one more — that's it.