Pasta with Lemon, Parmesan, and Greens
By Yankee Magazine|Apr 19 2004|
Yield
4 servings (8 as a side dish)
Total Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 pound assorted tender greens, such as spinach, arugula, pea tendrils
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound bowtie pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add lemon zest and greens, season with salt and pepper, and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
When water comes to a boil, season with enough salt so it tastes like seawater, add pasta, and stir continuously until water returns to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Scoop out about 1 cup pasta water; reserve. Drain pasta through a colander, add to greens, return pan to medium heat, and toss continuously until heated through. Add lemon juice and cheese; toss well, adding pasta water as needed to keep the pasta moist.
I make this all the time with different variations, depending on what is going on in the yard. We have an incredible bunch of wild miner’s lettuce coming up now here in CA and the chard and arugula simply never went away. Still have peppers from seed going after almost 18 months. A little spooky, but fun.
For some reason, I cannot abide bow tie pasta, however I have made this with spaghettini and it is delicious!