I didn't really know what to answer. I was craving pizza bigtime, but we were planning a deep-dish pizza feast for this Saturday. So, it was kind of a tough decision. But, after contemplating the contents of the refrigerator, we decided to concoct a pasta dish with collard greens & feta cheese. The addition of lemon & some lovely Thasos olives made this dish close to perfect. So, we're sharing with you.
Greek Pasta with Greens
3 T olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb collard greens
splash (1/4 cup or so) dry white wine - we used a nice minerally New Zealand savignon blanc
1 lemon -- zested and juiced (zest and juice reserved)
1/2 cup Thasos (or kalamata) olives
2/3 cup feta cheese
8 oz chunky whole wheat pasta (chiccole, penne, or other large shape)
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and a bit of salt and allow to saute for 5-10 minutes, or until beginning to soften.
While the onions are cooking, pull the stems out of the collard greens, and chop the leaves into thin slices. Add minced garlic to onion. Stir to combine and cook briefly. Then, add collard greens to the pan with a splash of white wine. Cover, and cook for about 10-15 minutes until collard greens are tender.
While the collards are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta. Pit the olives, if needed, and chop them in 1/2. Add the olives to the collard greens during the last few minutes of cooking time.
When pasta is ready, drain it and add to collard greens. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and feta cheese and toss to combine.
This was lovely with some crusty garlic bread and a bit of white wine.
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