Pasta With Grilled Sardines And Bitter Greens Food

PASTA WITH GRILLED SARDINES AND BITTER GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy, straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; continue to cook, stirring occasionally until very soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and red-pepper flakes.
• Add dandelion greens and saute until just beginning to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add frisee and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until greens are tender.
• Heat grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Drizzle sardines with lemon juice. Season sardines with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes per side and transfer to a cutting board. Fillet the sardines, discarding bones; set aside.
• Add pasta to boiling water until al dente, then drain, reserving some of the cooking water. Add pasta to the greens mixture and gently stir in lemon zest, parmesan, and sardine fillets. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in enough of the reserved cooking water to form a sauce. Serve immediately with additional lemon zest, cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil.

PASTA CON SARDE (PASTA WITH SARDINES)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti, and cook until al dente, or 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil, cover and keep warm.
• Place another 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet, and heat over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook just until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sardines, and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the bread crumbs and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. If necessary to give the mixture a crumbly texture, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Stir in the parsley and pepper, and remove from the heat. If desired, serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

PASTA WITH BITTER GREENS AND FETA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a deep skillet, pot, or Dutch oven with a lid. Add the onion and cook for 10-20 minutes over medium heat, stirring periodically. While the onions are cooking, start the pasta water on high heat in a separate large pot.
• When the onions are soft, add the chopped greens to the skillet, lightly salt, and stir until the greens start wilting. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat. You can cook it for longer if the pasta still isn't ready, over a lower flame.
• Meanwhile, when the water in the pot starts boiling, add the pasta and cook until firm to the bite (it will cook further in the sauce so be careful not to overcook at this point). When it is almost done, add the crumbled feta to the sauce, keeping the heat on low.
• When the pasta is ready, scoop it up with a slotted spoon or strainer, holding it over the pot of water to drain, and then add the drained noodles in batches to the sauce in the skillet, mixing thoroughly.
• Cook the finished pasta on low heat for a few minutes. Then add a grating of Parmesan, if you like, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately; the author recommends serving on plates pre-warmed in the oven.