Recipe: Herbed Pasta Bundles

Hi! I'm Parsley!

“I'm an herb with small green, aromatic leaves, and I add a fresh, bright flavor to foods. Try me! Taste a salad or other dish, then chop or tear some of my fresh leaves into it and taste again. You may be surprised at the flavor I add to your recipe! When you hear my name, do you also think of sage, rosemary, and thyme? That's because I'm part of the line, 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme,' in the traditional English ballad 'Scarborough Fair' made famous by Simon and Garfunkel!"

History

• Today, parsley is the world's most popular herb. Nobody is sure where parsley originated, though it is said by some to have originated in Sardinia (an island territory off the western coast of peninsular Italy). It is native to the central and eastern areas of the Mediterranean.
• The Ancient Greeks believed parsley sprung from the blood of the hero Archemorus after a dragon killed him!
• Humans have been cultivating parsley for 2,000 years!
• Like many vegetables and herbs, parsley was first used as medicine before being consumed as food. 
• In some countries, the curlier variety of parsley is more popular. People say this is because the flat leaf type resembles a poisonous weed called Fool's Parsley.
• California produces over forty percent of the parsley in the United States.

Anatomy & Etymology

• There are two parsley varieties commonly used as an herb, curly leaf and flat leaf. The flat leaf type is often referred to as Italian parsley. 
• Parsley is a biennial flowering plant—it will grow back year after year in prolific bushes. Its leaves are scalloped, small, and hardy. They can survive colder temperatures and grow best in partial shade. 
• Parsley plants can grow up to 2 feet high the first year after flowering (their flowers are small and white). 
• A relative of celery (try celery leaves some time—they taste a lot like parsley), parsley gets its name from the Greek word for "rock celery" (petroselinon) because it thrives on rocks and walls. 
• The word "parsley" combined the Old English "petersilie" (same as the current German word for parsley) and the Old French "peresil." These are from the Latin "petroselinum" from the Greek "petroselinon."

How to Pick, Buy, & Eat

• When selecting parsley for cooking, choose the flat leaf (Italian) variety, which is milder, less bitter, and more fragrant than the curly variety. 
• Select parsley that is bright green and fresh-looking, with no brown or rotting leaves. Store fresh parsley sprigs wrapped in a damp paper towel in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge. 
• You can also add a parsley bunch to a glass of water and tie a plastic bag loosely over the leaves, then store the glass in the fridge. Wait to wash its leaves until just before you're ready to use them by swishing them around in the water to loosen any clinging dirt.
• Make a tea from parsley to help with colic, gas, and indigestion. 
• Add raw chopped parsley to salads, soups, and burger patties. Add some to your morning smoothie, or tie up a few fresh sprigs with other herbs, like thyme and bay leaf, to make a bouquet garni (an herb bundle) used to season sauces and broths. You can also make pesto with parsley instead of basil or use it in chimichurri!
• Tabbouleh, the well-known salad from the Middle East, is made mostly with parsley, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, and bulgar. Gremolata is an Italian condiment made with parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. 

Nutrition

• Often ignored, parsley has been most frequently used as a garnish at restaurants (especially in the 80s and early 90s—remember that sprig of curly parsley placed on the side of your dinner plate?). But cultures around the world have long recognized the health benefits of parsley and used it more liberally in cooking methods, such as in chimichurri.
• Parsley is full of vitamin C. Vitamin C is necessary for the body to make blood vessels, skin, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, and it helps repair wounds.
• Some cultures use parsley as a digestive aid because of its fiber.
• Parsley is also a natural breath freshener. It reduces the odor of garlic breath when chewed fresh, thanks to parsley's high chlorophyll levels.
• Two tablespoons of parsley meet 153% of the Recommended Daily Value of vitamin K1. K1 is essential for healthy blood. Our bodies also convert K1 to K2, and K2 is needed to deposit calcium into bones.