Warm Pasta And Greens Salad |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes |
Ready In: 25 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Adapted from Lulu's Cafe, Dillsboro NC from 15 years ago. A twist on a pasta salad pumped up with assertive greens, bacon, vinegar, feta, walnuts and served warm. Ingredients:
1 lb. of collards, swiss chard, turnip, or mustard greens, washed and tough stems removed. |
1 12 oz. package of pasta, macaroni or rotini |
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled and 2 tbsp. fat reserved |
1/2 cup crumbled feta |
3 green onions/ trimmed and sliced on the bias, quite thin |
1/4 cup of pickled pepperoncini, stemmed and chopped |
1/4 cup of toasted chopped walnuts |
1/8 cup scant of white balsalmic vinegar |
1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes |
generous pinch of kosher salt, about 1/2 teaspoon |
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. Blanche cook the trimmed greens of choice for 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Remove from water and drain in colander to cool.
4. When cool enough to handle, chop coarsely, bite size, not long ribbons.
5. In reserved water, bring to boil again and add pasta and cook until tender but firm, about 8-9 minutes.
6. Drain and reserve; keep some of the cooking liquid about 1/2 to 3/4 cup.
7. Heat reserved bacon fat in pot, stir in vinegar (you can add a very small pinch of sugar at this point to mellow the vinegar slightly) add greens and pasta.
8. Add cooking liquid to pasta/greens to moisten, do not drown! Be sparing on liquid but you don't want it dry.
9. Add seasonings, pepperoncini, feta, green onions, half of the bacon. walnuts OFF heat. Toss well.
10. Put in serving dish and sprinkle with reserved bacon.
11. Put a bottle of pickled pepper vinegar on the table for people to add as they wish!
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