Wholemeal penne with dandelion. The Mediterranean recipe

Wholemeal penne with dandelion. The Mediterranean recipe

Food · ·

If you think a healthy dish can't also be delicious, try this recipe: wholemeal pasta with dandelion, a true Mediterranean delight.

Dandelion, also known as lion's tooth or meadow chicory, contains precious antioxidant, anticancer and cholesterol-lowering substances in its leaves, hidden behind a delicately bitter flavour.

Preparation

Begin preparing the wholemeal pasta with dandelion by bringing a generous amount of lightly salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, trim and wash the dandelion. Cut it into pieces of about 4 cm and blanch it in the boiling water for a few minutes, then drain it, keeping the cooking water.
The dandelion blanched in boiling water © Beatrice Spagoni
 Finely chop the onion with the peeled garlic cloves and soften in 2 tablespoons of oil and a little of the dandelion cooking water. Add the peeled tomatoes, the dandelion, marjoram, salt and pepper and cook for about 15 minutes.
Cooking the dandelion sauce © Beatrice Spagoni
 In the dandelion cooking water, boil the penne until al dente, then drain them, toss them into the dandelion sauce and let them absorb the flavours for a few minutes, stirring frequently.
The pasta cooked in the dandelion cooking water © Beatrice Spagoni
 Remove the wholemeal pasta with dandelion from the heat, sprinkle with grated pecorino and serve immediately.
The wholemeal pasta with dandelion ready to taste © Beatrice Spagoni
 Tips and interesting facts Dandelion leaves contain precious antioxidant, anticancer and cholesterol-lowering substances and, just like the flowers, are extremely rich in vitamin A. The vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium content is also excellent. The wonderful yellow flowers can be eaten too, whether in bud or fully open. For this recipe in particular, with the wholemeal pasta, if you like it you can replace the pepper with chilli: it's sensational! If you haven't been able to find dandelion, substitute with catalogna chicory, chard or rocket.

Steps

  • Bring the pasta water to the boil. Meanwhile, trim, wash and cut the dandelion into pieces
  • Blanch the dandelion in the boiling water for a few minutes, then drain it, keeping the cooking water
  • Soften the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, then add the blanched dandelion, the peeled tomatoes, marjoram, salt and pepper and cook for about 15 minutes
  • Boil the pasta in the dandelion cooking water
  • Drain the pasta al dente, place it in the pan with the dandelion sauce and let it absorb the flavours for a few minutes
  • Remove the wholemeal pasta with dandelion from the heat, sprinkle with freshly grated pecorino and serve immediately