pasta with dandelion greens

http://food52.com/recipes/26319-pici-pasta-with-dandelion-greens

• 12 ounces pici pasta
• 1 bunch dandelion greens, washed
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or dried crushed chili
• 1/4 cup grated fresh Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons coarse fresh bread crumbs

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons kosher salt.
2. Slice the stems off the dandelion greens until only about 1/2 inch remains.
3. Heat the oil and garlic in a sauté pan until the garlic becomes fragrant and starts to sizzle, but not turn brown. Toss in the dandelion greens and move them around in the pan. Cook partially covered until the greens are wilted and softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente -- it will take a bit longer to cook than spaghetti or other thin pasta shapes. Just before draining, scoop out 1/3 cup of the pasta water and whisk into the eggs.
5. Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan off the heat; drizzle in the eggs and chili and toss everything together. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if needed.
6. Stir the Pecorino and bread crumbs together in a little bowl; sprinkle over the pasta and serve

Miso-Maple Roasted Roots

http://food52.com/recipes/26507-miso-maple-roasted-roots

Author Notes: A very basic, endlessly customizable miso sauce, tossed with root vegetables, roasted until golden. Use whatever root vegetables you have handy

Serves 4

• 2 pounds root vegetables, cut in roughly 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons miso paste (see above)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey, if you prefer)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or just oil it).
2. Whisk together the miso, maple syrup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and oil. Toss the sauce with the cut-up root vegetables, coating them well. Transfer to the baking sheet and roast, turning periodically, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are soft (but not mushy) and caramelized. Eat as soon as possible.

kale salad with pecorino and walnuts

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/08/kale-salad-with-pecorino-and-walnuts/?utm_source=swissmiss&utm_campaign=28e021452f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2660ad4d17-28e021452f-393321125

1/2 cup (105 grams or 3 3/4 ounces) walnut halves or pieces
1/4 cup (45 grams or 1 1/2 ounces) golden raisins
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup panko (15 grams or 1/2 ounce) or slightly coarse homemade breadcrumbs (from a thin slice of hearty bread)
1 tiny clove garlic, minced or pressed
Coarse or kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch (about 14 ounces or 400 grams) tuscan kale (also known as black or lacinato kale; this is the thinner, flatter leaf variety), washed and patted dry
2 ounces (55 grams) pecorino cheese, grated or ground in a food processor, which makes it delightfully rubbly (1/2 cup total)
Juice of half a lemon
Freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes, to taste

Prepare walnuts: Heat oven to 350. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, tossing once. Let cool and coarsely chop.

Prepare raisins: In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer white wine vinegar, water and raisins for 5 minutes, until plump and soft. Set aside in liquid.

Prepare crumbs: Toast bread crumbs, garlic and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a skillet together with a pinch of salt until golden. Set aside.

Prepare kale: Trim heavy stems off kale and remove ribs. I always find removing the ribs annoying with a knife, because the leaves want to roll in on the knife and make it hard to get a clean cut. Instead, I’ve taken to tearing the ribs off with my fingers, which is much easier for me. Stack sections of leaves and roll them into a tube, then cut them into very thin ribbons crosswise.

Assemble salad: Put kale in a large bowl. Add pecorino, walnuts and raisins (leaving any leftover vinegar mixture in dish), remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice and toss until all the kale ribbons are coated. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and some of the reserved vinegar mixture from the raisins, if needed. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving, if you can, as it helps the ingredients come together. Just before serving, toss with breadcrumbs and, if needed, a final 1 teaspoon drizzle of olive oil.