Dandelion greens are one of my favorite edible weeds, and they love being wilted into garlic butter with pasta. I decided to add some sweet potato leaves, mostly because they pop up and kind of go crazy in my garden every year, but also because they add a bit of sweet, more delicate green flavor to offset the dandelion. If you eat dairy, feel free to use grass fed butter of ghee for your cooking fat, and substitute real parmesan for the pistachio parmesan. Having said that, the pistachio parmesan is a lot more nutritious, delivering healthy fats, complete protein, and fiber; and it adds a comforting earthiness to the dish.
(scroll down for interactive, printable recipe card, grocery list and more!)
pasta with dandelion greens, sweet potato leaves, garlic & pistachio
For the Pasta: 12 oz. of your favorite pasta (I used Trader Joe’s Red Lentil Sedanini) 4 cups fresh dandelion greens, cut in half 2 cups sweet potato leaves with a few inches of stem intact 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced as thin as possible 1 1/2 tbsp. of your favorite healthy cooking fat, plus another (optional) 1 tbsp. set aside 1/4 cup pistachio parmesan or real parmesan (for non-vegan) Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to tastePinch of crushed red chile (optional) Truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil for drizzling For the Pistachio Parmesan: 1/2 cup raw pistachios 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast 1/4 cup hemp seeds 1/4 tsp. dried granulated garlic 1/4-1/2 tsp. sea salt
Cook the pasta per manufacturer’s instructions. Rinse under cool water and set aside. To make the pistachio parmesan, place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the pistachios reach the consistency of a coarse meal. Adjust the salt based on your own taste and sodium needs.
To make the pasta, heat the cooking fat in a large sauté pan. Brown the garlic slices slowly, stirring constantly, until they just start to brown around the edges. Increase the stove heat to high and add the greens and leaves. Cook the greens and leaves for about a minute, stirring and coating well with the garlic, until they are wilted down to about 25% of their original volume. Rinse the pasta under hot water to restore warm temperature, and then add to the pan immediately. Stir in the parmesan, and taste for salt and pepper. Add optional tbsp. of fat if needed. Then add your optional pinch of crushed chile. Serve onto four plates or pasta bowls. Sprinkle more parmesan on top of each plate, and drizzle some truffle oil or olive oil to finish it off. Check out other vegan pasta-style recipes here!
pasta with dandelion greens, sweet potato leaves, garlic & pistachio
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 12 oz. your favorite pasta I used Trader Joe's Red Lentil Sedanini
- 4 cups fresh dandelion greens cut in half
- 2 cups sweet potato leaves with a few inches of stem intact
- 2-3 cloves garlic sliced as thin as possible
- 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil optional: another 1 tbsp. to set aside
- 1/4 cup pistachio parmesan or real parmesan for non-vegan
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Pinch of crushed red chile optional
- Truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- For the Pistachio Parmesan:
- 1/2 cup raw pistachios
- 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 tsp. dried granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt more to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta per manufacturer's instructions. Rinse under cool water and set aside.
- To make the pistachio parmesan, place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the pistachios reach the consistency of a coarse meal. Adjust the salt based on your own taste and sodium needs.
- To make the pasta, heat the cooking fat in a large sauté pan. Brown the garlic slices slowly, stirring constantly, until they just start to brown around the edges.
- Increase the stove heat to high and add the greens and leaves. Cook the greens and leaves for about a minute, stirring and coating well with the garlic, until they are wilted down to about 25% of their original volume.
- Rinse the pasta under hot water to restore warm temperature, and then add to the pan immediately. Stir in the parmesan, and taste for salt and pepper.
- Add optional tbsp. of fat if needed. Then add your optional pinch of crushed chile.
- Serve onto four plates or pasta bowls. Sprinkle more parmesan on top of each plate, and drizzle some truffle oil or olive oil to finish it off.Check out other vegan pasta-style recipes here!
2 thoughts on “Pasta with Dandelion Greens, Sweet Potato Leaves, Garlic & Pistachio”