Orecchiette with Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese

I asked Bryan to help me with the dinner menu, and he came up with this amazing recipe. He loves orecchiette styled pasta at restaurants, so I think that’s what drew him in. However, have you ever tried to find orecchiette at the local grocery store? Ha, that was an adventure. Two grocery stores later, we came home with a $5 pound of imported pasta from Italy. This better be good.

Luckily, the dish was very tasty and we both enjoyed it. The pasta was almost doughy like a small dumpling. I’m sure this recipe would work well with other pasta shapes too; maybe medium shells? I doubled the recipe for company without any issues. I would recommend serving this with a simple grilled chicken.

Adapted from Food Network: Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
6 oz. dried orecchiette pasta
2 cups Mediterranean-style mixed salad greens
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped
1 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook per the package instructions, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the water.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the salad greens with the sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and Parmesan. Top with warm pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine and wilt the greens.

3. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, or to taste. Garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired, and serve.

The Facts
3 Servings