SUBSCRIBE BY EMAILBucatini with Wilted Dandelion Greens and Anchovy Sauce might not be a pasta dish you eat all the time, but I think you should give this one a go at least once. Since it’s delicious, I’m sure it will lead to a more frequent rotation for your dinnertime.
The bitter truth
When I was young my parents would fix and eat dandelion greens. As a kid I didn’t eat them, not much liking their bitter taste. I only thought twice about the fact we were having weeds for dinner when my friends were over and would question some of the meal choices going on in our kitchen. Growing up in a traditional Italian household does that sometimes.
Instead of meals like casseroles or sloppy Joe’s (reserved for dinner every now and then), my family would serve things like octopus, dandelion greens, squash blossoms, and lentils. These things could seem strange to others, especially all those years ago.
I loved those healthy and tasty meals – with the exception of the dandelion greens! Now, I’m happy to see many of the familiar dishes I ate growing up are currently recognized as being part of a healthy Mediterranean diet.
Since it’s springtime and dandelion greens are in full force, I decided to try Bucatini with Wilted Dandelion Greens and Anchovy Sauce.
Get weeding
According to my subject matter expert (my mom) the trick to cooking dandelion greens is to first blanch them before you sauté them. This helps remove the overwhelming bitterness of the greens.
Keep in mind that these greens will shrink a lot when you cook them, much like spinach does. The anchovy-garlic sauce in this pasta dish balances the slightly bitter greens. The garlic isn’t too strong since it’s roasted, and the anchovies add nice saltiness to the dish.
You should give these weeds a try! The combination of flavors in Bucatini with Wilted Dandelion Greens and Anchovy Sauce is a delight!
Recipe for Bucatini with Wilted Dandelion Greens and Anchovy Sauce
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces bucatini, cooked according to package directions (reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water when finished)
- 1 large bunch dandelion greens
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2, 2-ounce tins of canned anchovy fillets
- 4 cloves garlic (mince one of the cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Roast 3 cloves of garlic by placing the unpeeled cloves in a small pan and drizzling them with a bit of olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes.
- When the garlic is finished roasting, squeeze them out of their skins and into a small bowl along with the drained anchovy fillets and 1 teaspoon of the anchovy oil. Mash the garlic and anchovies together to form a paste. Set aside.
- Cook the bucatini according to the package directions, and drain when finished. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- During the second half of cooking the pasta, wash and trim the ends from the dandelion greens. Blanch them in boiling water for just about 3-4 minutes, until the dandelions turn bright green. Immediately rinse them under cold running water for a minute. Drain them in a colander and squeeze out any remaining moisture.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the dandelion greens and cook for about a minute. Add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and mix well. Add the anchovy paste to the mixture, along with the cooked pasta and a bit of the pasta water (add 1/4 cup at a time). Mix so everything is well coated and the water has evaporated.
- Add about 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese to the mixture and stir it again.
- Add the mixture to a large serving bowl and serve warm.
Serves 4
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