Dandelion Pesto and Sausage Pasta recipe

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Ingredients

2 bunches dandelion greens, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound orecchiette pasta
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup mascarpone cheese
¼ cup olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ pound bulk Italian sausage

Nutrition Info

705.4 calories
carbohydrate: 74.7 g
cholesterol: 47 mg
fat: 36 g
fiber: 9.6 g
protein: 27.2 g
saturatedFat: 11.3 g
servingSize: -
sodium: 642.5 mg
sugar: 3.3 g
transFat: : -
unsaturatedFat: : -

Directions

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Recipe Yield

6 servings

Recipe Note

I enjoy making this on Friday nights while drinking a great Chianti. You can substitute arugula or broccoli rabe for the dandelion greens, if desired. You can substitute pistachios for the pine nuts, if desired.

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