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Our first dinner in the garden, spring has been cold this year… the blossoms have been blown away by storms of rain and hail. We have had a few days of fine spring weather in March and then winter came back to taunt us. All I want to do is sit by the stove and read a good Jane Austen novel. Wrapped in a blanket and sipping a cup of Earl grey tea…
This morning the sky looked a little blue so we left the house early to go to the organic market in Brussels. I bought fine looking Spanish spinach and found freshly made Ricotta at an Italian stall. That was dinner sorted. I just love simple pasta dishes, simple is gorgeous in Italian cuisine.
I generally don’t use recipes, I mostly just start cooking and see how it goes. Don’t get me wrong I love cookery books but I don’t really use them for cooking. Unless for pastry, you need to follow the recipe there!
We eat pasta nearly every day at our house, vegetarian ones as we only eat meat once a week. There’s nothing more soothing than a good bowl of pasta after a busy day at the office.
So here we are, one of my favourite easy dishes, penny with spinach, Ricotta and Pecorino.
What do you need
1 bunch of fresh spinach (I used Spanish but you can also use the regular one)
150 g of Ricotta
Pecorino cheese grated
Pepper and sea salt
Method
Boil salted water and add the spinach, cook for 30 seconds and drain.
If you are using Spanish spinach, keep the flowers and buds separate to decorate your dish.
Put all the Spinach leaves in a container with a few teaspoons of the cooking water and puree with a handmixer. If the mixture is too dry, add more water.
Add the penne to the cooking water you used for the Spinach.
Wait for 4 minutes, put a heave based pan on the hob and add the spinach to it.
Add the Ricotta and stir, you might need some more cooking water so if you do, add until you get a good consistency.
Add a handful of grated Pecorino and stir well so you don’t get lumps.
Taste and add pepper and salt if needed.
The sauce shouldn’t be on the stove too long, so add the pasta as soon as it’s ready and fold in the sauce.
Put your flowers and buds on top of the pasta and serve with extra grated Pecorino cheese.
Enjoy
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Spring is finally here.
The trees are parading their lovely blossoms and the days are starting to get longer again.
The thing I love most about spring are the colors, the vibrant green of the new leaves on the trees and plants. The scent of flowers and the snow of blossoms when the wind blows through the trees.
I enjoy sitting in the garden enjoying the first rays of sun, wearing a warm jumper and big scarf. I’m reading a cookbook and the leaves of the Magnolia flowers are tumbling down on the pages of my book like bookmarks pointing out delicious recipes.
It’s quite chilly, apart from the blossoms the branches of the trees are still bare and showing off their slender forms.
I run inside with rosy cheeks and try to create spring on a plate.
The first green, the first flowers.
This dish is spring for me, welcoming one of my favourite veg: the green asparagus.
Green
asparagus aren’t easy to come by where I’ from. Mostly they are imported from Peru so I can only buy them the few times I can find them from local farms. There are loads of
white asparagus, but I crave for the green ones. Asparagus grow red
berries which are poisonous so here we have the pomegranate pearls to accompany the asparagus in color and in taste giving some acidity to the dish.
asparagus aren’t easy to come by where I’ from. Mostly they are imported from Peru so I can only buy them the few times I can find them from local farms. There are loads of
white asparagus, but I crave for the green ones. Asparagus grow red
berries which are poisonous so here we have the pomegranate pearls to accompany the asparagus in color and in taste giving some acidity to the dish.
What do you need (serves 2-4)
1 bunch of green asparagus
half a cucumber
half a pomegranate
a bunch of Rucola
a handful of parmesan shavings
some good quality olive oil
Method
Use your mandolin or hand slicer to create ribbons from the asparagus.
You can use a knife, but try to slice it as thinly as possible.
Slice the cucumber into thin discs.
Wash you Rucola and arrange on a plate.
Remove the pearls from the pomegranate.
Boil salted water and blanch the asparagus, have a bowl with cold water standing by.
Remove the asparagus after you counted slowly to 10.
Add to the cold water to stop them cooking.
Arrange the slices of cucumber over the Rucola.
Dry the ribbons with some kitchen paper and arrange over the cucumber.
Sprinkle the pomegranate pearls over the dish.
Add the parmesan shavings
Drizzle some nice olive oil over the salad.
All done!
Lovely with a dry but flowery white wine.
Enjoy!
Next week I have a guest post for you!
Please leave a comment, I love reading them!
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I had never seen this type of kale before and to be honest, I had to do some research.
‘Haak’ or ‘Collard greens’ is a leafy green vegetable from mustard – cabbage family.
They are native to the Mediterranean region but I bought them in Kent.
The leaves look like outer cabbage leaves but darker in color and sometimes almost black. The aroma and taste is something between cabbage and mustard leaves and the leaves do not get very soft after cooking like spinach leaves tend to do.
‘Haak’ or ‘Collard greens’ are also very nutritious, a 1 cup portion of cooked collard greens has about 50 calories. It is an excellent source of vitamins C, A, and K. This same serving will provide a good source of calcium, fiber, and beta-carotene, as well as vitamin E. Rich in nutrients and antioxidants, ‘Haak’ or ‘Collard greens’ are beneficial for supporting the immune system.
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| the paste |
The taste does take some getting used to but after you do, you will enjoy the warm mustardy flavour. I made the leaves into a pesto-like paste and mixed them with parmesan. The parmesan softens the mustard flavour a bit and the Ricotta gives the greens a sweeter touch.
What do you need
serves 4
1 bunch of Collard greens
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 cup of grated parmesan
4 tsp of olive oil
2 tsp of ricotta
parmesan to serve
olive oil to serve
1 bunch of Collard greens
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 cup of grated parmesan
4 tsp of olive oil
2 tsp of ricotta
parmesan to serve
olive oil to serve
Method
– Rinse the Collard greens well
– Remove the stalks from the leaves
– Boil salted water
– Cut the leaves to create strips
– Add to the boiling water, do not put the lid on
– Boil for 5-7 minutes
– Drain the Collard greens and keep the cooking water to cook the pasta in.
– Add the pasta to the boiling water
– Divide the Collard greens so you have 2/3 and 1/3.
– Add the 2/3 of the Collard greens to a food processor or mixing bowl
– Add the olive oil, parmesan and garlic to the Collard greens and puree.
– Add the Ricotta to the paste and stir
– Drain the pasta and keep some of the cooking water
– Stir the Collard greens paste trough the pasta, if its to dry, add some of the cooking water.
– Finally stir in the 1/3 of Collard greens leaves
– Serve with a generous amount of parmesan and drizzle some olive oil over the dish to finish it of.
– Rinse the Collard greens well
– Remove the stalks from the leaves
– Boil salted water
– Cut the leaves to create strips
– Add to the boiling water, do not put the lid on
– Boil for 5-7 minutes
– Drain the Collard greens and keep the cooking water to cook the pasta in.
– Add the pasta to the boiling water
– Divide the Collard greens so you have 2/3 and 1/3.
– Add the 2/3 of the Collard greens to a food processor or mixing bowl
– Add the olive oil, parmesan and garlic to the Collard greens and puree.
– Add the Ricotta to the paste and stir
– Drain the pasta and keep some of the cooking water
– Stir the Collard greens paste trough the pasta, if its to dry, add some of the cooking water.
– Finally stir in the 1/3 of Collard greens leaves
– Serve with a generous amount of parmesan and drizzle some olive oil over the dish to finish it of.
This dish is delicious with a fruity white wine.
Enjoy
Please leave a comment, I appreciate every single one!
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