Summer Solstice Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Herbs

Between the solstice and the feast of Saint John, we have finally reached the moment of the year that marks a passage, when nature expresses itself at its fullest and every gesture from the past speaks of an intimate dialogue with the earth.

These are the days of nocino walnut liqueur, of St John's wort, of dew and of summer. The days when St John's wort, mugwort, lavender, rue, garlic, sage and rosemary are gathered in bunches tied with a string and seven knots, and left to steep in the dew to make a cosmetic water said to purify body and spirit. The days when the same bunches are placed under the pillow at night to bring prophetic dreams.
Before Saint John the Baptist gathered these celebrations under the wing of religion, they were about women, fertility and the marriage of sun and moon, and the bonfires still found in rural traditions are a trace of them.

It is a fascinating topic, with plenty of references online. Here are a few sites, in Italian, where I found the information above:

eticamente.net
olfattiva.it
cure-naturali.it

To celebrate the beginning of summer, here is a fresh, fragrant pasta dish, finished with aged balsamic vinegar of Modena.

200 g einkorn wholemeal fettuccine (I used these)
120 g wholemeal square spaghetti (I used these)
30 ripe datterini cherry tomatoes
the fresh green tops of 4 carrots
1 clove of new garlic
20 basil leaves
20 mint leaves
4 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar of Modena (12 months)
extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.

Wash the tomatoes and cut them into quarters.
Wash the carrot tops, pick the leaves off the stems, spin them dry and chop them finely with a knife.
Wash the mint and basil, pat them dry with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper and cut them into thin ribbons. Peel, crush and chop the garlic.

In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, garlic, carrot tops, herbs, 2 pinches of salt (6 g), 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a grind of black pepper.

When the water boils, salt it and cook the pasta (check the cooking times of the two shapes and stagger them if needed).
Drain the pasta and rinse it quickly under cold water (fine for a home kitchen; in a professional kitchen spread it on a tray with a little oil and chill it in a blast chiller).

When the pasta is at room temperature, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients, mix well, let it rest for at least 30 minutes and serve as it is, with a few herb leaves and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on each plate.

If you have lavender at home, add a few flowers.