Best Dandelion Pasta Recipes

DANDELION PESTO AND SAUSAGE PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add dandelion greens and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving water in the pot.
• Return dandelion cooking water to a boil; add orecchiette and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Process 3/4 of the dandelion greens in a food processor until finely chopped. Add Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, mascarpone cheese, and olive oil; process until pesto is smooth. Season pesto with salt and black pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir orecchiette, dandelion pesto, reserved pasta water, and remaining dandelion greens into sausage; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND DANDELION GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the dandelion greens to the pot and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Drain. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and saute until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked dandelion greens to the pan, stirring to coat them with the oil. Season with salt, red pepper. Cover with a lid and lower the heat. Cook for about 10 minutes then add the sausage meat. Cook until the fat begins to render. Raise the heat and add the wine to the pan. Add tomato paste. Cook until the alcohol evaporates, about 3 minutes, then add the dandelion greens, stir, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring another pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orecchiette until al dente, about 7 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta. Transfer it to a big bowl and add the sauce, mixing as you do. Add a bit of cooking liquid to help it emulsify. Finish by topping with grated Pecorino Romano and black pepper and serve family style at the table.

DANDELION PASTA

Steps:

• Saute garlic in oil until golden, remove garlic set aside.
• Add mushrooms adding more oil if needed sautee for 5 minutes add broth, dandelions, thyme and black pepper to taste.
• Toss with the pasta, garlic and sprinkle with the lots of cheese.