When greens that I let go to seed at the end of the last growing season form harvestable leaves the next spring, they become a staple in my meals. If I’m not eating greens at least once a day, I won’t keep pace with the sweet, tender leaves and will regret it when hot weather turns them bitter. To avoid salad overload, I fold spring greens into everything from breakfast burritos to pasta dinners.
The peppery leaves of arugula are a personal favorite, one I learned to eat as the dominant green rather than an herbal garnish when I lived in London, where it’s known as rocket. The raw leaves stay crisp and bright in salads and mounded atop pizza but might turn soggy if sauteed or cooked into a sauce. The trick is to let residual heat warm them briefly, until slightly wilted and pleasantly soft.
Fresh greens wilt without overcooking when tossed into a pot of hot pasta and covered so that they steam. This technique works with all sorts of greens, including chopped spinach, chard and mustard greens and even herbs like sorrel and basil. Tossing them with lemon juice locks in their bright color and flavor. If you substitute kale, gently rub the juice-coated leaves between your fingers to massage in the lemon juice and soften them.
The spiciness of arugula plays particularly well with nutty Parmesan and pungent blue cheese. Too keep the flavors from becoming too sharp, I prefer mellow roasted garlic, prepared in the same way as for Roasted Garlic Hummus. Fresh garlic has quite a bite in this pasta, because it isn’t warmed long enough to cook. To minimize that, sauté raw garlic in advance or stir it into the lemon juice and let it sit for about 10 minutes when substituting fresh for roasted cloves.
Cheesy Wilted Arugula Penne
Serves 2-3
8 ounces penne pasta
2 ounces arugula (about 2 cups), torn if large
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts (optional)
In a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, cook the penne until al dente, following the package instructions. In a large bowl, gently toss the arugula with the lemon zest and juice until lightly coated.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the starchy liquid. Return the hot pasta to the pot and quickly stir in the oil and garlic. Immediately add the grated cheese and then the arugula, tossing to combine. Put a lid on the pot and let it sit for one to two minutes, until the arugula wilts. Stir in the reserved pasta-cooking liquid a tablespoon at a time until saucy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the crumbled blue cheese and pine nuts, if desired.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.