Description
A flavorful and comforting pasta dish featuring spicy nduja and fresh spring greens, enhanced with garlic, shallots, and a zesty lemon finish, topped with a crunchy parmesan breadcrumb garnish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 200g long pasta (tagliatelle recommended)
Sauce & Vegetables
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 small banana shallots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 20g nduja
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 200g spring greens, finely shredded
- ½ lemon, juiced
Topping
- 25g breadcrumbs
- 10g parsley, finely chopped
- 15g parmesan, finely grated
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining thoroughly.
- Sauté Shallots: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots with a pinch of salt and fry gently for 10-12 minutes until they are softened but not browned.
- Add Garlic, Nduja, and Tomato Purée: Stir in the garlic, nduja, and tomato purée into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomato purée caramelizes slightly, releasing rich flavors.
- Cook Spring Greens: Mix in the shredded spring greens, add a splash of water and the lemon juice. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the greens have wilted and softened nicely.
- Prepare Breadcrumb Topping: In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat them in the oil. Toast over medium heat for about 3 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from heat and mix in the chopped parsley, grated parmesan, and a pinch of seasoning.
- Toss Pasta and Greens: Add the drained pasta to the pan with the spring greens. Toss well to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and an extra splash of lemon juice if desired.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and sprinkle generously with the parmesan breadcrumb topping. Serve immediately while warm and flavorful.
Notes
- Reserve pasta water to help bind the sauce and adjust consistency.
- Be gentle when frying shallots to avoid browning; they should remain soft and sweet.
- Adjust nduja quantity according to your spice preference as it is quite piquant.
- Freshly grated parmesan enhances the topping’s flavor—avoid pre-grated for best results.
- This dish pairs well with a crisp white wine or sparkling water with lemon.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: nduja pasta, spring greens, tagliatelle, Italian pasta recipe, spicy pasta, vegetable pasta, quick pasta dinner
