Pasta With Beans Crispy Lunch Meat Greens And Garlic Recipes

PASTA WITH BEANS, CRISPY LUNCH MEAT, GREENS AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Drop the pasta in the water and give it a stir. Cook according to the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the lunch meat and cook until crisp. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, an additional minute. Add the beans and greens and cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
• Add the pasta and reserved pasta water to the pan and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, toss in the cheese and chile flakes if using and serve.

BEANS-AND-GREENS PASTA WITH FRIED EGGS

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan filled two-thirds full of water to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and the spaghetti. Cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions recommend.
• Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spoon four 1-tablepoon rounds of Parmesan into the skillet, leaving space between each. Cook until the cheese is melted and the edges are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Using a thin spatula, flip the rounds and cook until golden and the chips start to stiffen, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer the frico to a plate to cool and crisp. Do not wipe out the skillet.
• Drain the spaghetti in a colander and rinse under cool water to prevent sticking. Wipe out the saucepan the pasta was cooked in. Place over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, garlic and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the same skillet over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and sprinkle with salt. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook until the whites are firm but the yolks are still runny, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the broth to onion and garlic in the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the chickpeas and lemon zest and juice. Add the spinach, pasta and the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Cook over medium heat, tossing gently, until the spinach is just wilted and the pasta is heated through; season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the pasta among shallow bowls. Top each with a fried egg and a crumbled frico. Serve with more Parmesan.

PASTA WITH GREEN BEANS AND ALMOND GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-low heat, toast the almonds, stirring frequently so they don't burn, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine the almonds, celery or parsley leaves, lemon zest, garlic and a pinch of salt. Set aside and wipe out skillet.
• Add pasta to boiling water and cook until it is al dente, according to package directions. About 2 minutes before it's done, add the beans to the pasta pot. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta and beans.
• While the pasta and beans drain, make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in the large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is golden in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet (be careful of splattering) and cook until it is reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes more. Turn heat to medium and add the pasta, green beans and butter to the skillet and toss until the butter melts. Add the cheese and an additional 1/4 cup water and toss until the cheese is emulsified and the pasta is glossy with sauce. If needed, add an additional 1/4 cup pasta water to loosen. Season with kosher salt, to taste.
• Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, top with gremolata and drizzle with more olive oil. Pass additional grated cheese at the table, if desired.