Foglie D’Ulivo with Pancetta & Olives
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: June 22, 2020
Delicate fresh pasta ‘olive leaves’ are the perfect partner to a salty, flavourful pancetta and black olive sauce. Learn how to make this visual and culinary Italian delight.
We eat with our eyes right? Who could fail to be impressed with this beautifully vibrant, clever little bowl of pasta!? Foglie D’Ulivo (translated as Olive Leaves) with Pancetta and Olives is a treat on the eyes AND the taste buds.
The Italians have created a mind boggling array of hand shaped pasta - some simple, some couples, some bizarre. Foglie D'Ulivo are amongst some of the most beautiful, don't you think?
Formed with spinach infused eggless dough they create the perfect green hue to resemble leaves from the olive tree. The perfect accompaniment to the pasta must of course be olives themselves in all their umami delight alongside salty pancetta. This dish is a perfect blend of flavour, texture and of course colour. Perfect for a stand-out lunch or dinner.
What is Foglie D'Ulivo?
"Foglie d’ulivo" pasta, also known as "olive leaf" pasta, is a type of pasta that is shaped like olive leaves. It originates from Italy, where pasta-making traditions are deeply ingrained in the culinary culture. Italian pasta makers have a long history of creating various shapes and forms of pasta to suit different dishes and preferences.
The exact origin of foglie d’ulivo pasta might be difficult to pinpoint as pasta shapes often evolve over time, influenced by regional traditions and creativity. However, it's safe to say that this particular shape is inspired by the olive tree, which is abundant throughout Italy and holds cultural significance in Italian cuisine.
Foglie d’ulivo pasta is typically made with durum wheat semolina and water, though some variations may include other ingredients such as spinach for color. It's commonly used in dishes where its unique shape can help catch and hold onto sauces, making it a versatile option in Italian cooking.
Why it works?
It's pretty and tasty - pretty tasty! The pasta shaped into olive leaves is pretty and a real stand out for any plate. The spinach is perfect in creating the colour for the leaves and the whole combination of olives and bacon is hard to beat. If you're trying to impress with your next bowl of pasta, then this is your recipe.
Stuff You'll Need
Here's the great news! As with most Italian dishes the roll-call of ingredients is thankfully short. It's not what you have, it's what you do with it. Here's what you'll need...
- Semola flour (durum wheat flour) - this pasta is eggless, so we're mixing it with water and the spinach puree to make the dough.
- Spinach leaves - these will bring the colour and a little extra flavour too.
- Pancetta - for all that salty meaty delight. You can use guanciale or bacon too.
- Dry white wine - this adds more flavour to the dish - you can replace with water or chicken stock too.
- Black olives - (you can't have olive 'leaves' without olives, and they work perfectly with the salty pancetta.
- Parmigiana Reggiano - For an added level of complexity, add some finely grated parmigiano.
- Black pepper - there's plenty of salt in the olives and pancetta so all we need is a little freshly cracked black pepper to counterbalance.
Step by Step
Who would have thunk it? Pasta could be shaped into pretty convincing leaves! We'll the reality is actually really rather simple. Creating these delightful little pasta treats is simple and it all starts with making the leaves yourself - you'll be surprised how easy that is - it's all done in a few super simple steps (a child could do it - actually a child would LOVE to do this!).
- Wilt some spinach in a pan - 2 minutes (easy, right!?)
- Puree the spinach with a stick blender - 30 seconds (still keeping it simple)
- Mix the puree with the flour and a little bit of water to form a dough (tired yet?)
- Knead the dough for 15 minutes (OK you might be a little tired after that, so...)
- Rest for 30 minutes (You and the pasta dough)
- Make the little pasta shapes (This is time consuming, but hardly taxing - take a seat and lose yourself in leaf making satisfaction)
- Make the sauce - 10 mins!!
- Boil the pasta - 2 mins!!!
- Mix and eat! (1-2 mins)
That's simple enough right!? What you end up with is a real superstar of a pasta dish. The sauce is a knock-out, with umami for days and a perfect salty note to soak into the soft, herbaceous pasta leaves.
Pro Tips - pasta with or without eggs?
Without eggs
Everyone I talk to is afraid of making their own pasta at home. Most believe they'll be slaving over a bench for hours. The truth couldn't me more different. Many people assume all fresh pasta is egg based pasta, but a lot don't realise that durum wheat or semolina pasta is an option and super super easy to make at home. Semola flour (semolina flour) is the type of flour used for most commercially available dried pastas in our stores. Having no eggs, means it has a much longer shelf life. But did you know that Italian nonnas have (and still are) creating pasta without eggs at home for Centuries? It's every bit as delicious. The dough can be moulded and shaped into infinite amount of shapes, ribbons and sheets. And it's also easy to colour your pasta using just water and natural colouring, like in this case - spinach.
With eggs
For a richer, more decadent version, you CAN also create Foglie D'Ulivo using fresh egg pasta too. Use my guide on How To Make Fresh Egg Pasta for this! To create a spinach version of this pasta, just replace one of the eggs with 1-2 tablespoons of spinach puree. Then, once you've made your dough - come back to this recipe and finish the dish!
Serving & Storage Suggestions
Serve hot and right away for the best flavour and texture. There's not a lot of 'sauce' with this pasta so any length of time from cooking will mean the pasta absorbs most of it, leaving it a little dry. For that reason, I would add a little more water or stock when reheating in a pan or the microwave.
- I don't recommend refrigerating for more than 1-2 days and don't recommend freezing.
Ready to get cooking?
This is such a simple recipe. Mixing and forming the pasta into perfect little leaves is great fun - sometimes they're not so perfect - but that's the charm! It's great activity for a rainy afternoon at home. You'll be churning out the leaves in no time, and enjoying a massive bowl of this fantastic olive leaf pasta with the most insanely tasty pancetta and olive sauce. People will talk about it for weeks! Hope you enjoy the recipe.
More of my favourite Italian recipes
I can't get enough pasta in my life. I'd eat it all day, every day if I could. Check out some of my other delicious fresh Italian recipes to try. I just KNOW you're going to love each and every one.
- Pinsa Romana
- Taralli Pugliesi
- Malloreddus (Gnocchetti Sardi) with Sausage & Arugula
- Beetroot Risotto with Taleggio Cheese
- Fennel Risotto
- Campari Cocktail (The Pink Fizz)
- Anchovy Sauce (An Umami Flavour Sensation)
- Mezzelune Pasta with Cavolo Nero & Ricotta
- Garganelli Pasta with Mushroom Sauce
- Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle
- Spaghetti with Cavolo Nero & Almonds
- Osso Buco Ravioli
Any Questions? (FAQ)
Have a question about this pasta dish? Let me know in the comments.
Foglie d'ulivo pasta is an Italian pasta shaped like olive leaves. Made from durum wheat semolina, it's versatile for various dishes. Inspired by the olive tree, it's a traditional yet creative addition to Mediterranean cuisine, ideal for holding sauces.
Semola flour is a coarsely ground durum wheat flour commonly used in pasta making. It has a high protein content and golden colour, contributing to pasta's firm texture and ability to hold sauces. It's also used in some bread and pastry recipes.
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Video Recipe
Ingredients
For the Foglie, pasta
- 2 cups semola flour (semolina flour)
- 3 oz spinach leaves (90g)
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 oz pancetta (cut into cubes or slices)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup black olives (pitted and cut in half)
- ½ cup Parmigiana Reggiano (finely grated)
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a pan over a moderate heat, and when hot throw in 1/4 cup water. Quickly follow with the spinach leaves and then pop on a lid. Let the spinach cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.Remove from the pan when still hot, puree in a food processor or with a stick blender until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Tip the flour onto a clean surface and make a well in the centre. Add the spinach and some of the water to the well. Using a fork, whisk the spinach , gradually adding flour as you go, until too thick to whisk. Then, using your hands, begin bringing the pasta together. Add a little more water at a time until everything comes together.
- Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth.Cover with a bowl or plastic and rest for 30 minutes.
- When rested cut the dough into 4 pieces. Cover three and take off a slice of dough and roll into a long, thin sausage (about the width of a pencil. Cut the pasta sausage into 2 inch (5cm) pieces.
- Using a knife, press the blade on a sideways angle and push down and away from yourself to flatten out the dough. As you do this, using your free hand, stop the dough from curling up on itself – press it gently to help form the leaf shape.
- Repeat this process with all your dough. Arrange the leaves on a floured platter- keep them floured to avoid any sticking.
- Bring a large pan of generously salted water to a rolling boil.
Making the sauce
- Add the pancetta and oil to a large, cold frying pan. Turn on the heat and let the pancetta come to a fry over a moderate temperature. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes until most of the fat has rendered out. Be careful to not let it burn.
- Pour in the wine and let it sizzle briefly then add the olives and about ½ cup water – reduce the heat until it’s barely simmering.
- Pop your Foglie pasta into the water and cook for 1-2 minutes. Using a sieve, fish out the pasta and tip them into the pancetta. Quickly add the cheese and then about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Stir well to incorporate everything and serve immediately.
- Sprinkle with more cheese and season with a bit of freshly ground black pepper.
Nutrition
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