Linguine with Greens, Potato, Garlic, Hot Pepper & Tomatoes
Submitted by jmnmacacfer
Low-fat linguine with greens, potato, garlic, hot pepper, and tomatoes simmered in vegetable stock. An Italian-inspired pasta loaded with wilted greens and tender new potatoes, no added oil.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
60 minREADY
80 minPasta and potatoes in the same dish sounds like carb overload, but this is classic Southern Italian peasant cooking where starchy potatoes break down into the sauce and give it body without butter, cream, or oil. The whole thing is cooked in vegetable stock, making it genuinely low-fat.
Four cups of mixed greens, think escarole, arugula, dandelion greens, or chard, wilt down into the tomato and potato sauce in the final minutes. The bitter, peppery greens cut through the starchiness and keep every bite interesting.
The onions sweat covered in vegetable stock for 10 minutes until completely soft. No oil means they won’t caramelize, but they’ll melt into the sauce and add sweetness. Garlic and optional red pepper flakes go in for the last 2 minutes.
New potatoes are baked or steamed first, then chunked and added to the sauce. Baking concentrates their flavor while steaming in stock gives them extra savory depth. Either works, but the stock-steamed version is worth the extra step.
Kitchen Tips
- If steaming potatoes in vegetable stock, save that liquid for the sauce. It’s loaded with potato starch and flavor.
- Use whatever sturdy greens you can find. A mix of bitter and mild greens gives the best result.
- Roma tomatoes work best fresh. Canned diced tomatoes are a perfectly good substitute out of season.
- Toss the drained pasta with the sauce in a warmed bowl. Cold bowls cool the dish too fast.
Variations
- With sausage: Brown crumbled Italian sausage and add to the sauce for a heartier, non-vegetarian version.
- Kale and white bean: Replace mixed greens with chopped kale and add a can of drained cannellini beans.
- Parmesan finish: Grate Parmesan over the top at serving. It adds fat but the flavor boost is worth it.
Ingredients
Directions
Bake the potatoes in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until tender but firm.
Or steam them in water or vegetable stock to cover.
If you steam them in vegetable stock, reserve it for the pasta sauce.
When cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
If you are including green beans, cook them in vegetable stock and immediately refresh in cold water.
Drop the pasta into a large kettle of boiling salted water.
Stir.
Heat the ½ cup stock in a sauté pan over moderate heat.
Add the onions and cook, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and optional hot red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes longer.
Add the tomatoes, tomato liquid, potatoes, and greens and optional beans and cook until the greens are wilted and the potatoes are heated through.
Season with salt and pepper.
When the pasta is al dente, drain it and toss with the sauce in a warmed bowl.
Note: Canned tomatoes can be substituted for fresh.
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