Farro Pasta With Nettles And Sausage Recipes

PASTA WITH FARRO

Steps:

• Try this twist on kasha varnishkes, a classic Jewish dish made with buckwheat and bow ties: Toast 1 cup farro in a saucepan over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 1 pound orecchiette as directed; drain. Brown 3 tablespoons butter; toss with the pasta and farro (or toss with walnut oil). Season with salt.

FARRO PASTA WITH NETTLES AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water for pasta and bring it to a boil.
• In a wide, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over a medium-high burner. Add the onion and a little salt, and let the onion begin to soften. Add the sausage meat, breaking it into rough pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned and the sausage is done, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir well to coat. Turn off the heat.
• Salt the pasta water and begin cooking the pasta. When the pasta is nearly ready, reheat the onion and sausage mixture over a high burner. Add the nettles or greens to the pan along with 1/4 cup pasta water and stir until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. Check the seasoning.
• Drain the pasta when al dente and mix with the skillet ingredients in a large warmed bowl. Serve with coarsely grated ricotta salata.

FARRO PASTA WITH PEAS, PANCETTA AND HERBS

Steps:

• Place a large pot of well-salted water over high heat and bring to a boil for the pasta.
• Place a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and pancetta. Let pancetta sizzle and take color, stirring, until nicely browned, with a little give, about 5 minutes. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Start to cook the pasta, timing it to be ready just as the peas are done. Cook until pasta is quite al dente (less time than package directions indicate). Drain pasta, reserving a cup or so of pasta-cooking water.
• Leaving skillet over medium-high heat, add scallions, crushed red pepper and sage, stirring well to coat. Add 3 types of peas and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until firm-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add drained pasta to vegetables in the pan, along with 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water and let simmer. Toss well with 2 wooden spoons, or tongs, and season pasta-vegetable mixture once more with salt and pepper. Add more pasta cooking water as necessary, until vegetables have softened a bit and pasta is just done.
• Turn off heat and stir in butter. Mix together lemon zest, parsley and mint, and sprinkle over pasta.
• Transfer pasta to a large, low bowl, sprinkle with ricotta salata and serve. (You might also divide the dish into individual servings.)