More Greens Recipes

I recently received the following e-mail:

Last week at the market I bought some mustard greens. I am not a southerner by birth, so I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. I cooked up the whole bunch with some bacon, onions, garlic and chicken stock, but had a lot left over. I was looking for recipes and came across this absolutely delicious pasta dish:

Penne with Bacon and Mustard Greens Recipe

Since I was using leftover greens, I went ahead and cooked more bacon and garlic as directed, though I didn't add any more onion. Instead of the frozen greens, drained, I used my leftover, already-cooked fresh ones. Instead of adding more broth, I just used the liquid from the greens.

This was just excellent. Lots of flavor and very inexpensive.

I'm mostly sharing this because I thought it might be a fun addition to your very nice e-mail newsletter to link to a recipe for what's new and seasonal at the market. Those mustard greens won't be here long.

I love the market.

Sincerely,

Ann Porter

Thank you so much for your support, Ann. You have no idea how excited we were to receive your e-mail.

So, here is the Ann's recommended recipe. Let me know what you all think.

Penne with Bacon and Mustard Greens

Ingredients:

•1 lb. penne or penne rigate pasta
•1/2 lb. bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
•10 oz. (1 package) frozen mustard greens, thawed and drained.
•2 tbsp. tomato paste.
•1 onion, chopped fine.
•3 cloves garlic, minced.
•1/4 cup chicken stock
•1 good pinch Italian Seasoning
•1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
•2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
•Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste
•Salt and pepper to taste.
Method:

Cook Penne according to package directions. Drain well but do not rinse.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium low heat until it is cooked through, but not crispy. Remove from grease and place on paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tbsp. bacon fat. Discard or store the rest.

Add olive oil to skillet and stir to combine with bacon fat. Add onion and garlic, stirring until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add tomato paste and stir through. Return bacon to pan and toss well. Add greens and stir until heated through. Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning (will be a bit oily, that’s O.K.!)

Add pasta and toss to coat well. Grate approximately 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over pasta, toss well.

Serve hot with additional Parmesan on top if desired.

Enjoy!

hattip: Cooking by the Seat of My Pants