pasta with creamy carrots and Asian greens

Not all of my greens that are growing in the winter greenhouse are big enough to eat yet but these three are:

The back left are collards, the back right are pac choi and the front is mizuna.  I love them fresh in a mixed greens salad but was considering ways that I could use them cooked with pasta.  Here is what I did.

While the water was heating for the pasta I heated a skillet on the stove and when it was hot drizzled some olive oil in the bottom.  I then added an onion and a minute later some carrots.  I sauteed them stirring occasionally until they were almost tender.  I removed the carrots and onions and using the same pan I added three garlic cloves that were minced and then added heavy cream to the garlic in the skillet.  I used enough cream to make a 1/4  inch deep layer over the bottom of the skillet and stirred to distribute the garlic in the cream.  I continued to cook the garlic/cream to reduce it down and thicken it a little.  I added the greens--the collards and pac choi were cut into ribbons and the mizuna I left whole--and once they had started to wilt I added the drained cooked pasta and some of the carrot/onion.  I was cooking for just one so I did not use all of  the carrot/onion (mirepoix) but reserved some for another use.  If you were cooking this for a group you would use larger quantities of  all of the ingredients.  I use mirepoix a lot so I often make extra.  I stirred the mixture allowing the flavors to combine and to heat through. 

I thought it was good and would definitely make this again.  The carrots were sweet, the greens provided a  nice contrast, the cream infused with a little garlic clung to the pasta and pulled it all together.  I think it would be good with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top as it is being served.

Pasta with creamy carrots and Asian greens

Olive oil
1 large yellow onion-cut into thin wedges
5 carrots-peeled and cut into bite size pieces
3 cloves garlic-minced
heavy cream
Asian greens- large handful-torn or cut into bite size pieces
pasta-cooked

Heat a skillet on medium high heat on the stove and when hot add olive oil to the pan--enough to partially cover but not fully cover the bottom of the pan.  Add the onion and a minute or to later the carrots.  Cook stirring occasionally until nearly tender.  Remove the carrots and onions to a bowl and using the same skillet add the minced garlic cloves and then immediately add enough heavy cream to make a thin layer over the bottom of the skillet.  Stir in the garlic to distribute and cook for a couple minutes to reduce and thicken.  Add the greens and stir to combine.  Once they have wilted a little add the pasta and the reserved carrot/onion mixture.  I wanted similar amounts of carrots and greens so I did not use all of the carrots and onions.  Cook while stirring to blend the flavors and heat through.

Linking to:

Foodie Friday 

a tale of two soups--soup two

Yesterday I made a soup using Nathan's venison bone broth, hamburger, vegetables and homemade pasta and it was really good.  Caitlin and I had it for lunch.  See here for soup one.  We talked about what else would be good in it and decided to add some stewed tomatoes, cabbage and barley for a different version. 

Since our vegetables and pasta were already cooked I felt that adding uncooked barley and cabbage and cooking the soup until those ingredients were thoroughly cooked would leave the vegetables and pasta overcooked and likely turn them to mush.  Adding cooked barley and cabbage seemed the way to go so I cooked the barley according to the package directions and roasted the cabbage and then added both to the soup along with a quart jar of stewed tomatoes that I canned from tomatoes that grew in the garden this summer.

This soup also  had good flavor.   The vegetables and pasta  retained good texture.  The tomato mixed with the broth was good.  The cabbage and barley I would do again. 

soup two in a handcrafted bowl made by Nikole on a potter's wheel

closer shot of the veggies, barley and cabbage

If I were to make this soup from the start I would probably cook the barley and cabbage in the broth and then add the frozen vegetables when the cabbage and barley were close to done.  I like that provides a little variety. 

I think that other additions could include wild rice, lentils, other beans, navy, pinto or black, potato, sweet potato, squash.

a tale of two soups--soup one

This year for Christmas one of my gifts were several pint jars of bone broth.  Nathan followed the instructions in this video to make bone broth from venison bones.  

After cooking the broth for several days he canned the broth. It was a rich brown color.

I used one of the jars to make a hamburger vegetable soup.  I browned the hamburger, added the pint jar of broth and then filled the pot with water until it was about 3/4 full.  I added an assortment of frozen vegetables--ours was carrots, peas, corn and green beans some from our garden and some from the store. When the soup came back to a boil I added homemade pasta and cooked it until the pasta was al dente.

Not ever having had venison stock before  we were unsure what the flavor would be like.  Caitlin and I discussed adding tomatoes to the soup and decided that we could add tomato when we reheated the leftovers and see which way we liked it best.   Soup number one turned out great.  The broth has a very good flavor.  I used very little seasoning--a little salt and pepper and I added some dried cilantro.

Soup number one

 Extra fun was eating it out of another Christmas present--my soup/pasta plates.

hamburger noodle vegetable soup

1 pound hamburger, browned
1 pint venison bone broth
water
frozen corn, peas, green beans and carrots
homemade fettuccine, broken into 2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp dried cilantro

Brown the hamburger in a large stock pot.  Add the venison broth and water to about 3/4 full.  Add the frozen vegetables and the seasonings.  When the soup comes back to a boil add the fresh pasta and cook a couple minutes longer until the pasta is al dente,