GREEN DANDELION PASTA BOWL
Edamame and Mung Bean Fettuccine topped with sweet pepper and onion saute with zucchini sticks and dandelion greens. Wrapped in a smoky sour mustard sauce. Garnished with sliced sweet basil! Low fat, but who would even guess at that? No one I know. Top Shelf Pasta Bowl all the way to the end!
Serves 5-6
1 extra-large bunch dandelion greens – swoosh the heads of the greens in a large bowl or pot of cold water to remove all dirt, cut off bottom stems about 2/3rds down from tops, pick off all leaves tinged with black, rinse again
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Salt water sufficiently to taste like sea water.
When water boils rapidly place cleaned dandelion greens in pot. Submerge using spatula and boil, uncovered, for 3 minutes.
Immediately lift with tongs or spoon from pot into colander with a bowl beneath it. Let drain.
Saute for Dandelion Pasta Serves 5-6
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 jumbo green pepper, cored and sliced into strips
1 jumbo sweet red pepper, cored and sliced into strips
1 jumbo sweet onion – cut off ends, cut in half from end to end, cut each half crosswise from end to end into 3/8 inch wide strips
1 t. pink Himalayan salt
1 lb. fresh zucchini – cut off ends, cut into 2 inch segments, then slice each segment into 1/4 inch wide planks from top to bottom, then cut planks into 1/4 inch wide sticks = Jullienne-style
coarsely chop the cooked and drained dandelion greens on board
plus salt to taste
Sour Mustard Sauce:
1/2 c. prepared yellow mustard
1/4 c. white Balsamic vinegar
1 c. water
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. smoked paprika
1 t. pink Himalayan salt
Mix all sauce ingredients in bowl with whisk till smooth.
Cook 8 oz. pkg. Explore brand ORGANIC EDAMAME & MUNG BEAN FETTUCCINE in boiling, salted water for 5-7 minutes or till tender – drain in colander – fluff with utensil and set aside till ready to use
sliced green leaf herb as garnish – basil or cilantro (optional but nice touch)
Cook dandelion greens as instructed in ingredient section. Set a side.
In extra-large skillet, over medium heat, melt olive oil.
Add green and red peppers, onion and salt. Saute till veggies soften but still keep their shape.
Add julienne strips of zucchini and salt as desired. Stir with large spoon or spatula, up and over, till all zucchini is coated with liquid from the pan. Continue to saute till almost tender.
Add chopped dandelion greens; stir gently to even disperse.
Pour entire Mustard Sauce over contents of skillet. Stir gently to evenly coat veggies.
Let it bubble up, while stirring as needed. Don’t leave the kitchen as the veggies and sauce work together to flavor each other. Just a few minutes, while you watch carefully the veggies don’t get too soft, or the sauce too thick from evaporation. The zucchini needs to be fully intact and not mushy.
Remove from heat and salt and black pepper to taste.
To serve: Reheat the pasta in hot water or microwave till just hot.
Place a large forkful in bottom of your serving bowls. One package serves five, for our purposes with this recipe.
Spoon a good portion of veggies over top.
If desired, sprinkle with a fresh green leaf herb – basil or cilantro
Notes: Although the pasta box says 8 oz. serves 2 people, I guess it could, but here we’re minimizing the amount of pasta, even though it’s high in protein and low carbs, because it’s expensive and I want to serve more veggies than pasta. I do like it. It’s the type of food that while I’m cooking other things I keep nibbling on the strands, so much so that I have to remind myself to save it for dinner, otherwise there will be no pasta left to serve with any amount of veggies. The chew is perfect.
I didn’t rinse the pasta. I just used tongs and then a large slotted spoon to air lift it out of the boiling water to a colander. Fluff with hands after it sets for a while. It’s not starchy like grain flour pastas, so it doesn’t stick.
I could really get used to this pasta. Wish it were a little cheaper. I’ll try their other flavors too. I miss the flour pastas, not that I’ve given them up totally, but I indulge a lot less. I would not turn down a lasagna or manicotti or lots of other pastas now that I’m thinking about them – just less often and smaller portions.
This entire dish is low-fat.
FAT-FREE CHEF™ 