Recipe

Penne with Creamed Greens and Pancetta

Penne with Creamed Greens and Pancetta

Photo 1 of 2
by Jennifer Causey

Penne with Creamed Greens and Pancetta

Photo 2 of 2
by Jennifer Causey

  • Chef

    amanda's Notes: Greens like kale, chard and mustard are like a troublesome boyfriend. At the market, they look so appealing, so lush and irresistable. But as soon as I get them home, I find myself stressed...

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Serves 4

  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, spread the diced pancetta in a saute pan and place over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp; you may need to turn the heat lower as you go. Remove the pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

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  2. Pile the still-wet-from-rinsing greens into a large pot. Pour the oil over the greens. Season with salt. Turn the heat to high and begin wilting the greens, moving the greens from the bottom of the pot to the top using tongs. When they are fully wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off (if it hasn't, pour off all but 1/4 cup), add the cream and a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.

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  3. Move the greens into a food processor, adding about half the creamy liquid in the pot. Puree, adding more liquid as needed; reserve any extra. Add a squeeze of lemon and the creme fraiche and puree once more. Adjust seasoning.

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  4. When the water boils, add the penne and cook until al dente; reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain and add back to the pot. Plop the creamed greens on top of the pasta. Add the pancetta, and fold everything together. Add a handful of cheese, and fold again. Add some reserved creamed greens liquid (or pasta water), if needed. Serve in shallow bowls, sprinkling a little more cheese on top of each plate.

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17 Comments on Penne with Creamed Greens and Pancetta

Reply

I picked the last of the kale from my garden today and made this for dinner substituting chard for the rabe since that had gone to seed. This is a terrific dish, full of flavor and I will definitely make this again. I think one of the best final touches on a dish like this is to dress the plate with extra olive oil after plating it.

Img_7818 Reply

Made this for dinner tonight and we all loved it, including my 2 year old who scarfed it down. I used curly kale and spinach, and greek yogurt instead of creme fraiche, and it turned out great. It's going into the weeknight rotation.

Ss041609hs761 Reply

Please give your 2 year old thumbs up from me for eating this. Glad you all liked it!

Reply

Surprisingly delicious! Kale is a staple of winter veggies here in Germany (but not one of my favourites), but we found this to be a delightfully different take on it and it was much enjoyed.

Ss041609hs761 Reply

Glad you enjoyed it!

Reply

Have made this twice now and it will definitely be a staple through winter greens season in my CSA box.

Taw20336 Reply

This looks amazing tasty and simple. I just picked up a huge bunch of swiss chard and was looking for a different way to prepare- thanks!

Reply

Made this for dinner with kale, mustard and arugula. It was a big hit!

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I made this on Friday night for a small dinner party and it was a huge hit!

Reply

Amanda - do you have the nutritional information for this?

Ss041609hs761 Reply

Hi foodsurf -- sorry but we don't provide nutritional info. But there are a number of nutritional info counters online where you can plug in the ingredients and find this out.

Reply

Amanda - is it possible to share the nutritional information? Fat, fibre, etc.

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

I made this for dinner last night too - and it was really wonderful. Perfect dinner for a cozy evening with it raining outside.

Ry_400 Reply

We had this for dinner last night and it was delicious. I couldn't find any broccoli rabe so I used spinach and kale and a whole grain pasta and it turned out great.

Barr_selects__5_of_5_web1 Reply

I made this last night with just the broccoli rab, Greek Sour Cream (or Lebaneh from the Greek Gods, just lemon zest and added some garbanzos (after pulsing the greens -which is a great step - and once I put them back in the pan to heat up again) and of course BACON as the garnish.

It was really delicious. Thanks for a new idea for easy dinner! It served 2 of us perfectly. We also used the Barrilla Plus pasta which isn't quite as hearty as the whole grain kinds.

Img00019-20100929-0432_1_ Reply

this looks great and love the veggies creamed. i agree miche, perfect for whole grain.

Reply

This sounds like it would even hold up to one of the more edible whole grain pastas

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