ITEMS
Parsnips
Spinach
Shallots
Basil Microgreens
Fresh Porcini Linguine
Grass-fed Ground Beef
PRODUCERS
Fourth Wave Farm - Hamilton
Amaltheia Organic Dairy - Belgrade
Harlequin Produce - Arlee
Chance Farm - Four Corners
Dolina Pasta - Bozeman
Yellowstone Grassfed Beef - Bozeman
Fresh Pasta with Caramelized Shallots, Parsnips, and Spinach
This is comfort food that's both rich and nutritious, and strikes a nice balance seasonally between the last of the root crops and first of the spring greens and herbs. Serves 3-4.
12 oz fresh porcini linguine (or any dried pasta will work, too!)
1/2 cup white wine - veggie broth, chicken broth, or water also work
2-3 parsnips, shaved into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1-2 shallots, sliced thin
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, rinsed
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbs olive oil + 1 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings: basil micros, grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, toasted pine nuts or walnuts
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat with the sliced shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook shallots until they soften and are just beginning to brown, ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally. While shallots are cooking, start a large pot of water on high heat for the pasta. Add the parsnips to the skillet and cook another 8 minutes or so, until parsnips are tender and golden brown in places. Add the garlic, dried thyme, pepper flakes, and a little more salt and pepper, stir briefly, then add the wine/liquid. Cook until it's mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes, then stir in spinach and turn off the heat and cover until pasta is done.
Season boiling pasta water with salt and cook pasta for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the noodles. Reserve 1/2 C pasta water, then drain and toss the pasta with the warm veggies, adding reserved water if pasta seems dry. Serve sprinkled (or piled high) with grated cheese, basil micros, chopped toasted nuts (optional), and s+p to taste.
Simple Bolognese for Pasta
Adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis. Regardless of how you feel about her TV personality, this is worth a try. She has some good, quick recipes that I use regularly. There are many ways to make a bolognese sauce, and many things you can substitute for the ground beef to make a veggie version, so if you don't have everything, or like a different method better, it's all good. See notes below. Serves ~4 with 1 lb of pasta.
1/4 C olive oil
1 medium onion or equivalent shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 carrot, diced small (try substituting parsnip if you want)
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes - The quantity is more important than style: just mash or cut up other styles of canned tomatoes if that's all you have.
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, or more to taste
1/4 C freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
Basil microgreens (or up to 1/4 C chopped fresh basil and/or parsley)
Pasta! - The original recipe calls for cooking 1 lb of dried pasta. If you find yourself without delicious fresh pasta, use what you have! If it feels like too much sauce for the 12 ounces of fresh porcini linguine this week, you can always freeze the extra.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until it's tender, about 8 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and sauté 5 minutes more. Add the garlic, stir a few times, then increase the heat to high and add the ground beef. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, stirring and breaking up large pieces, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper (and any dried italian herbs you might want to add: dried oregano or basil, maybe a 1/2 tsp of each...). Cook over medium-low for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook you pasta. Stir in the 1/4 C grated cheese into the sauce, taste for salt and pepper and add more as desired. You can add the basil micros at this point, or sprinkle some on top when you serve it, probably with more cheese. Mix pasta and sauce together, or dish separately. Up to you!
Notes and Adaptations: As mentioned, parsnip could be subbed for carrot (or even celery), or roasted separately and stirred in at the end. Diced mushrooms could be sauteed with the veggies before adding the tomatoes. If you want to incorporate spinach in the dish, rinse it and give a few chops to break up big pieces, then stir it in the last 5 minutes or so. Or make a spinach salad to eat alongside.
Additional Recipes and Suggestions:
Braised Parsnips and Carrots with Dried Cranberries, from a November delivery
Baked parsnip fries from a January delivery