Orecchiette with Greens, Mozzarella & Crispy Chickpeas

I love a recipe that gobbles up the greens from my CSA share. I have made this dish a couple of times using whatever combination of greens I had available. Recently, I used turnip greens, kale and spinach but I have also used chard and baby collard greens in the past. The classic combination of basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella was a nice complement to the sautéed greens as well.

This quick dish was adapted from a Food and Wine staff favorite recipe, contributed by Marcie Turney. I doubled the recipe, decreased the red pepper flakes, and increased amount of fresh mozzarella. SO delicious.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• 1 pound orecchiette
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• coarse salt and ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 pound greens such as Swiss chard, kale, turnip greens, spinach, stemmed and leaves coarsely chopped (or more, as desired)
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 16 large basil leaves, torn or chiffonade

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium, deep skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat until crisp, 4 minutes. Transfer them to a paper towel–lined plate, sprinkle with the cumin and coriander and season with salt and black pepper. Discard the oil and wipe out the skillet.
3. Add the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat until fragrant, 30 seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, 3 minutes.
5. Add the greens and cook, stirring, until wilted, 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring until incorporated.
7. Add the mozzarella and basil and toss. Add more pasta water, if necessary.
8. Spoon the pasta into bowls, sprinkle with the chickpeas and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Spinach Späetzle with Bacon & Sage

Two Years Ago:

• Greens & Chayote Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Three Years Ago:

• Classic Creamed Spinach

Four Years Ago:

• Fresh Fettuccine with Peas, Garlic, and Ricotta Salata
• Linguine with Asparagus Pesto