There are spectacular vegetables in Nature which, however, we mistake as field weeds, even quite annoying. We are not used to recognizing them and we do not even stop to discover their qualities, ending up cooking the usual vegetables.
Certainly it takes a certain experience and habit to be able to identify them at first glance. If we see them growing spontaneously in some field or garden we end up trampling them or even uprooting them and throwing them away.
As in the case of the nettle, a perennial weed, which has been re-evaluated and found a well-deserved success in the kitchen. If we touch it with our bare hands, the stinging hairs of its leaves cause redness and even burning, but in reality they have surprising properties.
It is very good to eat and would help keep the heart, arteries and teeth healthy and promote metabolism this particular anti-inflammatory spring vegetable
It is part of the Urticaceae family and in ancient times it was a herb quite exploited also for medicinal purposes, because it was considered purifying, able to treat some ailments.
Furthermore, the nettle was used in the textile sector, the fibers of the woody stems, in fact, were used to make clothes, bags, but also paper and races.
Indeed, the ancients had seen a long way, because today, some studies claim it can be useful in treating arthritis, rheumatism and urinary tract infections. Its qualities would not be limited to this short list, because thanks to the high content of minerals, especially calcium and potassium, it would promote the health of bones, heart, arteries and teeth.
Furthermore, it is a source of beta carotene and tannins, rich in vitamins, such as A, B6, K, effective for a correct functioning of the metabolism. Some nutrients would make this unique plant a natural anti-inflammatory with diuretic power.
In the kitchen and in the garden
The most widespread use in the kitchen is to prepare a delicate filling of homemade pasta, such as ravioli and tortelli, by adding ricotta.
Usually, boiled and drained, it is also used to color the dough directly, giving a fresh flavor and a more particular color to the classic pasta.
The recipes to enhance its exceptional taste are varied and also quite creative. For example, it goes well with prawns or burrata, which have a sweeter flavor, so they would be perfect for creating a starry risotto.
We can also prepare a nettle pesto, both to season baked fish fillets, and to add to pasta with cuttlefish or clams.
Nettle is not only very good to eat, and would help keep our body healthy, but it is also worth gold in the garden, because it is a natural fertilizer. If grown next to some plants, such as mint, it would donate nutrients to the soil to help them grow robust and lush.
Deepening
This spring fruit with fleshy pulp could improve inflammatory bowel diseases and arthritis, it is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and would counteract aging