Morphed and Re-Morphed, Pennette with Greens Ragu

Re-Morphed Greens Ragu

The following recipe has been morphed and now re-morphed.  Originally from Mario Batali's Gutsto, morphed by our sweet friend Joanne over at Eats Well With Others and now by me.  I'm afraid it's now a far cry from Baltali's dish (now with a bit of Texas flair).  It's so pretty and so tasty I know you will enjoy it as much as my family.  I did not have Kale on hand so I prepared it with collard greens (which I confess, until now I have never tasted).  I assumed collard greens would be bitter, I was so wrong. It might have had something to do with the white wine I added but it turned out great! I love the toasted bread crumbs, they added a beautiful color and just the right amount of needed crunch! I will go back and try it again with Kale as Joanne did.  She's absolutely right, you will want to prepared this again and again!

Pennette with Greens Ragu, adapted from Batali's Molto Gusto and Eats Well With Others

Serves 4-6

1 summer squash + 1 Zucchini squash, diced and roasted in a 450 degree oven for 40 minutes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large shallots, halved and sliced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 bunches organic collard greens (about 1 lb), stemmed and cut into thin strips

sea salt, to taste

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 C dry white wine

3 tbsp butter

1 lb rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

1/2 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs fried in 1 tbsp olive oil until golden brown

1.  Set the squash up to roast as instructed above.

2. Combine the olive oil, shallot, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and greens in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion and greens are beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Season well with sea salt. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the greens are very tender.

3. Add the squash to the pot with the greens. Add the butter, stirring until it melts. Season with pepper and remove from the heat.

4. Around step 2, set up a pot of water with about 6 qts of water in it to boil. Mix in 3 tbsp salt. bring to a boil. Cook the pasta. (good tip Joanne!)

5. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water when you do so. Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the ragu. Toss over medium heat until the pasta is well coated. Add more water if necessary to loosen the sauce. Mix in the parmigiano-reggiano.

6. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.