- Details
- Category: Past Issues
Greetings. Try to buy as much locally grown produce as possible. Plentiful right now, is a wide variety of greens. The strong-flavored ones are perfectly suited to pairing with pasta, and milder varieties are great for salads. It is always exciting to be at the beginning of the growing season. Let’s hope for good health and good weather.
Pasta with Chicken & Spring Greens
½ lb rotini
1 tablespoon salt
12–16 ozs bitter greens (such as rapini, broccoli rabe, or mustard greens)
3 tablespoons butter
3 large shitake mushroom caps, sliced
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup cream
1 cup shredded or chopped cooked chicken
¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
olive oil, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
freshly-grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil (3 – 4 quarts).
Add fusilli and salt.
Cook in rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes less than full cooking time.
Add greens and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
Drain pasta and greens, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, sauté mushrooms in the butter
over medium-high heat until lightly browned.
Add wine and cook for 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste and cream, and heat through.
Add pasta and greens to skillet.
Add chicken, red pepper flakes, a splash of olive oil, and ground black pepper.
If necessary, add enough pasta water, to achieve desired consistency.
Toss, and serve, topped with cheese. Serves 2-4.