This vibrant green sauce coats the pasta beautifully and just begs to be eaten! Simple to make and versatile, lots can be added for texture and flavour. This time I scattered crunchy garlic crumbs over the pasta, but crisp fried chopped bacon, small dice of smoked chicken or olive tapenade would all be worthy suitors.
INGREDIENTS FOR FOUR
250gm bunch silverbeet
250gm baby spinach
salt
100ml light extra virgin olive oil
1 x medium lemon
200ml pasta cooking water
450gm short pasta
60gm Parmesan cheese
TOPPING (optional)
1Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 x medium garlic clove
100gm sour cream, mascarpone or ricotta
2Tbsp chopped chives
extra Parmesan if liked
COOKS NOTES
- Use short pasta such as rigatoni, penne or fusilli as the sauce clings to them really well.
- Play with the greens used. I've added lemony sorrel to the sauce which is delish. If you like all varieties of kale, then certainly use it, but be aware the flavour can be more 'green' than spinach.
- Don't throw out the silverbeet stalks. Braise them in fresh tomato sauce, make a gratin, or simply simmer in salted boiling water and serve with butter and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Ensure water used to cook pasta is salted well, so it tastes as salty as the ocean.
- Sauce may taste quite strong on its own, but when added to the bland pasta it will mellow. Don't be afraid to salt well. To test if more salt tastes better, remove a spoonful of sauce to a small bowl, add a tiny pinch salt, stir and taste.
- Check out the video on my OMG Zucchini recipe to see how to make the delicious golden crumbs.
METHOD
- Bring salted water to a boil in a medium-large saucepan.
- Tear washed leaves from silverbeet stalks to yield about 150gm. Store stalks for another use. Plunge leaves in saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add spinach leaves and stir well, cook for a minute. Strain off water, and briefly run cold water over cooked leaves, until cooled.
- Replace saucepan on stove with more generously salted water in to cook pasta. Bring to a boil whist completing the sauce.
- Squeeze majority of water from leaves using clean hands. Blend with olive oil and, couple of generous pinches salt, zest from the lemon (about one tablespoon lightly packed) and one tablespoon or more if you like, lemon juice.
- Cook pasta according to instructions on the packet.
- If using crumbs, place frying pan over medium heat and when warm add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add panko crumbs and stir to coat in oil. Toast in pan for a couple of minutes, stir and allow crumbs to turn golden. At the last minute, crush in garlic and stir to combine and release its aromas and flavour. Remove from heat.
- Grate Parmesan cheese. Chop chives.
- Drain pasta when ready, reserving about a cup of starchy cooking water. Measure about 150ml hot water into green sauce and blend until smooth. Add more salt if needed to balance out lemon juice and compliment the 'green' flavour and more water if sauce is too thick.
- Pour sauce over hot pasta in pan, add half amount of Parmesan and place on stove briefly to warm through.
- Spoon pasta into bowls and sprinkle over remaining Parmesan. Top with crispy garlic crumbs. Spoon a dollop of sour cream on top and scatter over chives.
- Serve immediately.
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