Eatwell Farm

Pasta with Wilted Mustard Greens and Spinach

½ lb. short pasta such as gemelli or penne
1 bu. mustard greens
4 cups spinach, trimmed and washed
3 garlic cloves
2 lemons
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Bring a 6-qt. kettle three fourths full with salted water to a boil for pasta. Remove & discard ribs from greens. Coarsely chop greens & finely chop garlic. Finely grate zest from lemons. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. While pasta is cooking, in a 12” nonstick skillet cook zest & garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden. Remove skillet from heat. Add greens to garlic mixture with salt & pepper to taste, tossing with tongs until greens are wilted. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water & drain pasta in a colander. Add hot pasta & 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water to greens & cook over moderately low heat, tossing until combined well. If mixture is too dry, stir in more pasta cooking water. For variety, try adding black olives or roasted red peppers to this dish. Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a first course.

Adapted from Gourmet, April 1999