Best Pasta With Garlicky Greens Recipes

UNBELIEVABLY CREAMY GARLIC & GREEN OLIVE PASTA

Steps:

• Put on a big pot of water to boil.
• Pick out your pasta, cook it al dente and keep it hot You can use spaghetti, capellini, vermicelli, or linguini, whatever you prefer.
• After you've made this once, and you know how long it takes for you to make the sauce, you make everything come up ready at the same time.
• Get some green olives.
• Any kind you want, really.
• I just get a bottle of cheap salad olives.
• There are usually a lot of pimento pieces floating around in there.
• We like the color, but I'm afraid the ol' Frugal Gourmet would NOT approve.
• You can get a bit fancier if you want.
• Chop up the olives a bit, not tiny.
• Next the garlic.
• OK, you HAVE to use fresh for this, no powder, not even the jar of pre-chopped.
• Those are okay for some things, and I do use them often.
• However, if you use anything other than fresh garlic in this recipe, you will not be impressed, and you will never make this again.
• I will weep.
• Don't do that to me.
• Take your fresh garlic clove, wrap it in that flat rubber disc you use to open jars.
• Just roll it up in there, then roll it back and forth on the countertop a few times.
• Unwrap it, and the peel should be off or mostly off.
• Do this with lots of garlic cloves.
• LOTS.
• At least a couple per person you're feeding.
• Slice the garlic, but not too thinly.
• In a hot non-stick sauté pan, put a little olive oil, the fresh sliced garlic and a lot of chopped green olives.
• Be generous.
• A handful per person is a good start.
• Sauté the garlic and olives just a bit, being careful not to let the garlic brown, or it may become bitter.
• Add some light cream, and bring to a simmer.
• Cook over low heat until the liquid has been reduced by almost half, and it is thick, stirring very often.
• Pour this over the hot pasta, sprinkle generously with parmesan, chopped parsley (fresh is best, but I usually only have dried) and black pepper, preferably fresh from the pepper mill.
• Toss.
• Serve immediately.
• Bow.
• But be humble.

GARLIC-AND-GREENS SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook the garlic in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. (Be careful not to over-brown the garlic or it will taste bitter.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic chips to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil into a small bowl to use as a dip for crusty bread, if desired. Add the onions and red pepper flakes to the oil in the pan; cook, stirring, until the onions are light brown, about 10 minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt.
• When the onions are almost done, add the greens to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, remove the greens, shaking off the excess water; add them to the skillet with the onions (set the pot of water aside). Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Return the cooking water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and reserve about 1 cup cooking water; drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the cheese and toss. Add the greens and some of the reserved pasta water and toss, adding more water as necessary to keep the pasta from clumping. Top with the garlic chips.

HERBY PASTA WITH GARLIC AND GREEN OLIVES

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add garlic and cook, stirring often and pressing down on cloves so they make good contact with the bottom of the pot, until golden and soft, about 5 minutes. Add parsley and cook, stirring occasionally, until parsley releases some of its liquid and slightly darkens in color, about 5 minutes. Toss in olives and red pepper flakes and cook another minute to let the flavors meld.
• Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with sauce and add butter and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing and adding more pasta liquid as needed, until each strand of pasta is coated and pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes. Remove pasta from heat and toss in basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt as needed.
• Divide pasta among bowls and drizzle with more oil.

PASTA WITH BEANS, CRISPY LUNCH MEAT, GREENS AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Drop the pasta in the water and give it a stir. Cook according to the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the lunch meat and cook until crisp. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, an additional minute. Add the beans and greens and cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
• Add the pasta and reserved pasta water to the pan and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, toss in the cheese and chile flakes if using and serve.