Spring Green Pasta Salad

 

This past weekend was mothers day weekend. Every year Joey and I get our mom's and step-dads together to celebrate. We spend the weekend together, cooking, relaxing (and maybe a little dancing).

 

It's the perfect time of year to be outside, enjoy the company, enjoy the porch and especially the garden. If the weather cooperates we tend to have a lot of our spring planted stuff coming out and we try and use as much as possible. One of the dishes this year utilized a lot of our greens, radishes, onions, garlic and parsley plus dried and ground turmeric from last years garden. For this recipe you can change many of the fresh ingredients, the greens especially, into whatever you have that is fresh and available - these happen to be what we grow.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 pound of pasta - we use gemelli or fusilli

1 tablespoon of salt (roughly)

Pinch of pepper to taste

2 teaspoons of turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

2 - 3 table spoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar

Juice from 1 lemon

2 radishes

2 small bunches of kale - we use curly kale (winterbor) and lacinato but you could use any green kale you have available

Handful of Italian parsley

1 head of broccoli

2 scallions

1 small head of garlic (we harvest early for these) or 2 - 3 cloves from a larger mature head

 

HOW TO:

Start a small pot of water boiling, enough for the pasta. Add the salt. When the water comes to a boil, drop the broccoli in for 2 - 3 minutes - just enough to blanch slightly. Pull out the broccoli and drop in the pasta. Cook until al dente.

 

While bringing the water to a boil cut the greens, the kale, into pieces about 1/2" x 1/2". Chop the garlic coursely - greens and all - and put this mixture into the bottom of a mixing bowl. When the pasta is cooked and ready, drain in a colander and immediately pour over the greens and garlic mixture. Leave to stand as-is for 3 - 4 minutes. This will wilt and slightly cook the greens but they'll keep much of theit bite and crunch. Pour over the olive oil and mix.

 

Chop the scallions (greens included) and slice the radishes. Add these, the pepper and dry spices and stir / mix again. Place in your serving bowl. Pull the broccoli flowerettes apart, place these and chopped parsley on top, drizzle over the vinegar and lemon juice, add finishing salt to taste and serve!