Easy weeknight dinners: orecchiette with cauliflower and bacon, heirloom lettuce salad
This is a great time of year for a simple, heirloom lettuce salad. Heirlooms are special because they are grown from seeds which have been around for decades at least, and sometimes for hundreds of years. They have been neglected by the big American factory farms because they require a little more care than mass produced varieties, but with the renewed interest in small family farms, these heirlooms are making a big comeback. Once you get them home, all you need is a little extra virgin and a squeeze of lemon to dress them. Unlike much of the lettuce that you buy at the grocery store, this lettuce actually tastes like something and is full of nutrients. An heirloom lettuce salad with a ripe, locally-grown tomato is the perfect weeknight side dish. Serve it alongside my recipe (below) for Orecchiette pasta with cauliflower and bacon;
Orecchiette with cauliflower and bacon (serves 4)
Remove 1 pound of nitrate-free bacon from the packaging. Chop it into a small dice. Cook bacon in a large saute pan until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off most of the bacon fat, leaving about 4 Tbsp in the pan.
Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water for the pasta. Cook 1+1/4 cups of orecchiette pasta until al dente.
Add half a head of cauliflower, chopped up into bite sized pieces, to the saute pan with the bacon renderings. Season the cauliflower with salt and pepper and 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Cook over a medium flame, stirring, until nicely browned all over and completely tender.
When the pasta is done, drain it well and combine it with the bacon and cauliflower in the saute pan. Season with salt and pepper and a little fresh basil. Add 1/4 cup of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and stir well.
Cook 1 minute to combine the flavors. Serve along with your heirloom lettuce salad.
Easy weeknight dinners is published every Tuesday at noon.
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