WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Like their mature incarnation, baby dandelion greens pack strong, grassy flavors and a bitter punch. But unlike their grownup selves, the babies are very tender and require minimal cooking, making them the perfect addition to a range of dishes that cry out for wilted greens. We wanted to create a pasta dish in which baby dandelion greens were the main event but weren’t too strongly bitter. Initially thinking a light and fresh dish would be appropriate for an early spring green, we started out with a wine and butter sauce. But tasters found that the acidic wine only compounded the greens’ bitterness. So we switched direction and made a rich, creamy Parmesan sauce instead. This sauce beautifully tamed the greens without overshadowing them, and the addition of fresh lemon juice and zest and basil finished the dish on a bright note. If you can’t find baby dandelion greens, you can substitute 12 ounces of arugula. We chose orecchiette for its talent for scooping up pockets of sauce, but farfalle can be substituted.
Serves: 4 to 6
Total time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound orecchiette
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, halved and sliced thin
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces baby dandelion greens, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1¼ cups)
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add dandelion greens 1 handful at a time, and cook until greens are just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, transfer to pot with pasta. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
- Bring cream and butter to simmer in now-empty skillet over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until reduced to ¾ cup, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, whisk in ¾ cup Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook until Parmesan is fully incorporated, and sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add sauce and basil to pot with pasta and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing remaining ½ cup Parmesan separately.
