New Year’s Day Pasta with Gremolata
Happy 2013! Wow, can you believe how time flies? I mean, seriously, where did the year go? I am so thankful for the wonderful year that was 2012 and am thrilled to be looking forward to all the milestones that 2013 will bring. My first big milestone should be arriving toward the end of this very month (!) In light of this heavily-pregnant-oh-so-tired feeling I’ve been focusing on simple, easy meals lately. I just don’t have the energy for anything too involved. This is one of the reasons I loved this post on Food52 about using one healthy gremolata in several different dinner recipes over the course of a week. Not only is this efficient (and delicious) any time of year, it is especially relevant to my cooking strategy these days!
Since I am also getting most of my cooking prep done in the morning I was thrilled this gremolata was so easy to pull together right after I’d cleaned up the breakfast dishes. I made my own modifications by omitting the capers (I am not a fan) and using spinach in lieu of kale. For dinner our first night I happily stirred the rich green sauce into fresh linguine and served baked chicken on the side. Our second night involved adding it to soup and I am thinking that the next iteration later this week might involve serving it with fish!
Recipe
Linguine with Spinach Gremola
adapted from Food52
Ingredients
| 1 | big bunch arugula, washed and dried |
| 1 | big bunch of baby spinach, washed and dried |
| 1 | hand parsley, washed and dried |
| 1 | tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste |
| 6 | anchovy fillets |
| 6 | garlic cloves, peeled |
| 1 | lemon, juiced and zested |
| 2 | teaspoons white wine vinegar |
| ½ | cup olive oil |
Instructions
1. In a large pot bring the water to the boil. Rinse the arugula, spinach, and parsley and trim of stems. Then add them to the water and add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Blanch the greens for about three minutes then remove them to a colandar in a sink. Press down so the greens can drain and allow them to cool for about five minutes. Give the greens one final squeeze then add them to the food processor.
2. Add the diced anchovies, garlic cloves, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, and olive oil and pulse until a thick past forms. Taste it with your finger and add more salt if necessary.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add ½ pound of the dried long strand pasta of your choice. Remove it to a colander to drain, reserving the pasta water, then place it back in the pot. Toss ½ cup, or a little more, of the gremolata with the pasta, thinning it out with small bits of pasta water until the desired consistency is reached.
Naptime Notes
Naptime Recipe Serving ideas
The rest of this gremolata will freeze well in ice cube trays. We also liked it as a sandwich spread!
Naptime Stopwatch
10 minutes prep time, 15 minutes cook time
Naptime Reviews
This versatile gremolata has been perfect for all kinds of dishes in the kitchen!
[…] good news is that since discovering this yummy, healthy recipe for gremolata from Dash & Bella on Food52 I’ve made two batches and have been maximizing it in all of our dishes. I anticipate […]
I make a recipe similar to this one. I call it green goddess dressing, it is delicious!!
Mmm, that sounds fantastic!