BostonSidewalks Recipe - Pasta with Summer Squash, Spinach, Beet Greens and Sausage

This recipe is so good in the summer because it uses vegetables that are all available fresh from the garden. And it only takes 15 minutes to cook once you get your ingredients together. You can start the sauce when you put the pasta in the boiling water and they are both done at the same time. Perfect!

Pasta Ready to Serve

I use baby beet greens and baby spinach. If you can't find baby beet greens (I get them at Wilson Farm in Lexington, MA) you can use regular beet greens. Just as good. And I find that soaking both of them in cold water in a salad spinner invigorates them but that is certainly not necessary. If you do soak them, spin them once to get most of the water off of them.

Baby Spinach and Baby Beet Greens

For the tomatoes I highly recommend San Marzano tomatoes. I use only 4 tomatoes without a lot of excess juice. And whatever is left in the can you can put in a covered bowl and refrigerate for use later. The San Marzanos are much better for this recipe because they break up easier.And if you are not familiar with them, check out 12 Things You Need to Know Before Cooking with Canned Tomatoes and you will learn all about canned tomatoes.

LaValle D.O.P. San Marzano Tomatoes

And before you ask, yes you can add all sorts of other vegetables to this dish, either in addition to what's here or to replace it. Maybe try zucchini, roasted eggplant, escarole, kale or whatever else you think would be good. Just be careful with the tomatoes. I use only 4 without the juice. This is not spaghetti sauce and in any event your pastas should not be "over sauced". In my humble opinion of course.

Beautiful Fresh Summer Squash

So give it a try and let us know how you make it your own. It is a great way to get vegetables into the kids also. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 cl garlic, minced
1/2 small Vidalia onion, sliced thin
1/4 t crushed red chiles
1/8 t fresh ground black pepper
1 Italan sausage, roasted and cut in half lengthwise and in 1/2" slices
1 med summer squash, 1/2" dice
4 San Marzano tomatoes without excess juice
4 c baby beet greens and/or baby spinach
8 oz pasta
salt to taste
freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano, for serving

Instructions

1. Place the Italian sausage into a glass pie plate or other baking dish and roast it in the oven at 375° F for 20-40 minutes until it is nice and brown and roasted fully. I like to use Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage because they roast up so nice. Depending on the fat content, some sausages won't roast up as well. And this is not necessary but if you don't roast them make sure they are added to the sauce in time to cook fully through.

Roasted Italian Sausage

2. When the sausage is done, take it out of the oven and after letting it rest for a bit, slice it lengthwise and then across at about 1/2" intervals. Set the sausage pieces aside.

Italian Sausage Chopped and Ready for the Recipe

3. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. I like this recipe with farfalle but any pasta could be used, like fusilli or penne or rigatoni.

Farfalle Ready for the Pot

4. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, pepper flakes and black pepper to a pan large enough to hold all the ingredients. This is a one pot dish so we will not be changing to another pan. The pan I am using is 9 1/2" across and 3" deep and it holds everything just fine.

Garlic, Onion and Peppers in the Pan

5. Make sure you have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go. When the water is boiling, turn the heat to medium high under the pan with the oil, garlic and onion. Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir it several times until the water comes back to a boil. If you are not comfortable cooking the pasta and sauce at the same time, you can cook the pasta first and drain it in a colander and it will be ready for you when the sauce is done.

6. Cook the garlic and onion until the garlic is just starting to turn lightly brown. Do not burn the garlic, it will ruin the dish! This should take about 1 to 2 minutes.

Garlic, Onion and Peppers Cooked

7. Add the sausage and summer squash and cook for about 1 minute.

Squash and Sausage Cooking

8. Add the tomatoes and break them up with your spoon and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add the Tomatoes to the Pan

Break up the Tomatoes with a Spoon

9. Add 1/2 of the greens and stir them until they wilt and have mostly mixed into the sauce.

Add Half the Greens to the Pan

Cook Until the Greens are Slightly Wilted

10. Add the remaining greens and stir again as before until they have incorporated into the sauce.

Add the Remaining Greens to the Pan

As Before Cook the Greens Until they are Wilted

Greens Fully Cooked Down and the Sauce is Ready for the Pasta

11. By now the pasta should be cooked but if it is not, let it finish. When it is ready, transfer it to the sauce with a spider or slotted spoon. Or drain it in a colander and add it to the sauce.

Add the Cooked Pasta to the Pan

12. Mix it all up gently and let it rest for 5-10 minutes for the pasta to absorb any remaining liquid.

Mix in the Pasta

Pasta After Sitting for a Few Minutes and Absorbing Some of the Liquid

Summary

Serve it in bowls sprinkled with freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese and maybe a nice hot piece of garlic bread and a salad. Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Recipe Yield:	Serves 2
Prep Active:	20 Minutes
Prep Inactive:	30 Minutes
Cooking Time:	12 Minutes

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