Nepitella Butter Recipe

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Photo by Fotolia/sommai
This Italian favorite can be both quickly assembled and frozen for several months.
15 min DURATION
1/2 cup SERVINGS

Ingredients

  • 1 small handful nepitella leaves
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) sweet butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions

  • Wash nepitella leaves well, examining for insects. Gently pat dry in a towel. With a very sharp knife, mince leaves. (Mincing is easier if you roll leaves into a small tube before cutting them.) You need about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped leaves. Add lemon zest to minced leaves in a bowl.
  • Cut stick of butter into 6 to 8 pats and then with a fork slowly work butter into nepitella and lemon zest, mashing to incorporate. Use a rubber spatula to put mixture into a small butter crock or decorative bowl. Refrigerate until serving time. Find more delicious recipes featuring Italian herbs in A Guide to Italian Herb Seasoning.
    Reprinted from The Edible Italian Garden by Rosalind Creasy.
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Try this butter melted over steamed artichokes and carrots and in all sorts of fish and poultry dishes. In Italy, nepitella is often paired with eggplant and mushrooms. The butter may be frozen for up to three months.

Nepitella Butter Recipe

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