Go green for dinner with meatless pasta winner
My friend in the U.K. and I regularly exchange tried-andtrue vegetarian recipes. This week, she sent me an orzo and cauliflower bake she plans to make for her family. I sent her this pasta and super greens recipe inspired by the purchase of a giant bag of power greens.
Turns out, skipping the meat course is no sacrifice at all — certainly not in terms of flavor or the budget.
I will warn that vegetarian mains might require a bit more kitchen time than tossing a steak on the grill. In the end, however, swapping in a few meatless meals a week is better for the planet and the consumer.
Just about any tender green works in the following recipe. I use half of a 1 ½-pound bag of “power greens” that includes baby chard, baby spinach and baby kale. Tuscan kale, also known as cavolo nero, Swiss chard and spinach (or a combination of them) also taste good
here. Of course, you can use collard or mustard greens, but increase the cooking time in Step 5 to render them pleasingly tender before stirring in the herbs and pasta.
When cooking with greens, rinse them well and pat dry. Then, roughly chop before giving them a good spin in the salad spinner to throw off most of the liquid that clings. You’ll need a large skillet or Dutch oven to hold the greens as they cook down into a smallish mound.
ORECCHIETTE WITH SUPER GREENS, YOGURT AND FETA
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
12 cups (12 ounces) super greens, baby kale or spinach, well rinsed, spun dry, roughly chopped
1 small leek, halved lengthwise, well rinsed, thinly sliced (or 1 bunch green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced), about 2 cups
1 medium-size sweet onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
1 small green chili, seeded, finely chopped
Orecchiette, that ear-shaped ½ cup each, chopped: fresh cilantro,
pasta so popular in Puglia, Italy, fresh dill
delivers an attractive appearance 8 ounces orecchiette, fusilli, wagon along with its pleasingly wheels, farfalle or small penne toothsome texture. Other ¼ cup olive oil shapes, such as fusilli, farfalle, ½ teaspoon each: salt, ground cumin wagon wheels or small penne or ¼ teaspoon each, ground: coriander,
shells, also work well. cinnamon, black pepper
Vegan eaters can simply skip ½ cup plain yogurt mixed with 1 clove the feta and yogurt or swap in crushed garlic or ¼ teaspoon garlic
dairy-free crumbled cheese powder
and plain unsweetened coconut 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled milk yogurt. Don’t be shy Crispy fried onions or toasted pine
with the cilantro and dill — the nuts, optional, for garnish
finished dish will taste fresh and Chopped fresh herbs, for garnish bright, even in January. 1. Prepare the greens, leek, onion, chile, cilantro and dill.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees on convection or 425 on conventional setting. Lightly oil a 3-quart baking dish.
3. Put a large kettle of water on to boil. Salt it well and boil again. Add pasta and boil until al dente (slightly firm in the center when bitten), 8 to 12 minutes depending on pasta. Reserve a cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta well.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in large 12-inch nonstick skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek, onion and chili. Cook and stir until softened, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in salt and spices, then stir in the chopped greens. Cook and stir until wilted but still bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in herbs. Stir in drained pasta and mix well. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid if needed to loosen things up a bit.
6. Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Dot the top with the yogurt mixture and sprinkle with feta. Bake until piping hot and cheese starts to get soft, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with fried onions and more herbs. Serve hot or at room temperature.