Page 65 - Healthy (March - April 2020)

FOOD

Garlicky charred greens
with wholewheat penne

Yasmin Fahr says: ‘Cime di rapa can be a polarising
vegetable as it runs on the bitter side, but I find if
you counter it with a salty fat, aka cheese, and a
bit of acid, then it is actually quite enjoyable. Garlic
lovers, slice the garlic thinly so that you get more in
each bite. I also love cutting cubes of cheese and
wiggling them into the pasta as it cooks so they are
like little surprise nuggets when I eat it.’
Serves 4
Prep 5 mins, cook 20 mins
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or grated
½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
1 litre water
500g dried wholewheat or farro penne
600g cime di rapa, cut into 5cm pieces, or
300g chard or cavolo nero, leaves removed
from stems and cut into 2.5cm ribbons
45g grated vegetarian parmesan,
plus more to serve
Handful of cheese, such as mozzarella or
cheddar, cut into small dice (optional)
Zest of 1 lemon

1 Heat the oil in a 30cm ovenproof frying pan
over a medium heat until simmering. Add the
shallot with a pinch of salt and cook until
softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and
a pinch or more of chilli flakes, stirring constantly
until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
2 Pour the water into the frying pan, raising the
heat to reach a vigorous boil, then add the pasta
and more salt. Cook until the pasta is al dente
– about 2 minutes less than the package
instructions – and stirring every few minutes to
ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan,
about 10 minutes. Keep tasting it as it gets
closer to being done.
3 Turn on the grill to high. Place an oven rack
15cm from the heat source (if your grill is inside
your oven). Stir in the cime di rapa, then top with
the grated parmesan. (Here is where you’d add
the little cheese nuggets, if using.)
4 Place under the grill until the cheese has
melted and turned a light golden hue and the
cime di rapa is starting to brown – about
2–3 minutes, depending on your grill.
5 Remove, top with the lemon zest and more
cheese, if desired.

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