Dandelion Eggy Pasta is a quick, nutritious comforting dish!
This recipe uses what's growing and very fresh at the Cottage right now - eggs, fresh from the Chicken Girls, tender and slender dandelion greens, and bright, flavorful tarragon.
Marry these things with egg noodles and a dash of Dijon mustard and quick as a wink...dinner is ready!
Tender, fresh dandelion greens are a Springtime staple!
Dandelion greens, protein from eggs, and pasta "carbs", made savory and piquant with Dijon and tarragon make a complete, one-dish meal.
Recipe: Dandelion "Eggy" Pasta: (serves 2, or one really hungry person!)
2 handfuls of egg noodles
1 tsp salt
4 TBS reserved pasta cooking liquid
3 TBS butter sliced into three sections
2 eggs
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBS chopped dandelion greens
1 TBS fresh, minced tarragon (or one teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed)
1 clove minced garlic
Freshly ground, coarse black pepper
1-TBS grated Parmesan cheese
Chop the dandelion greens and mince the tarragon and mix together. Mince the garlic. Set these aside.
Cook the pasta in a pot of water with a teaspoon of salt for 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat.
While the butter melts, lightly beat the eggs, Dijon mustard, and 1/2-teaspoon of salt together until just blended.
When the butter is sizzling pour in the eggs and let sit for a minute until the edges are just beginning to set.
Remove the skillet from the heat and with the fork lightly swirl the eggs into ribbons and eggy clumps. The egg will not be cooked completely at this stage...about a third set up. The heat of the pan will cook them a bit more. Set aside.
When the noodles are cooked through, but not completely soft drain them, reserving about 1/2-cup of the cooking liquid (you'll need about 4 TBS of liquid).
Add the chopped dandelion, tarragon, and garlic on top of the eggs.
Next, add the hot noodles and stir all together adding the hot pasta water one tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition of water. The heat of the noodles and hot pasta water will finish cooking the egg.
Add just enough pasta water to make the eggs glisten, but not enough to pool in the bottom of the skillet.
Divide the pasta between two bowls, add lots of black pepper, or to taste, and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese.
On busy Spring days in the gardens weeding, planting, cleaning up, it's so easy to grab a couple eggs, some dandelion greens and herbs, and simply toss something easy, quick, and tasty together for a yummy, one-dish dinner. Oh, so satisfying!
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See my post of May 2, 2012 for Dandelion Colcannon!
Dandelion Colcannon is comfort food!
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