Have some fresh greens to use up? This is a very easy pasta that uses lots and lots of fresh greens. I order greens from Farmer Jones Farm. They are an independent grower of high quality, premium vegetables and greens that used to be available only to restaurants. Since 2020 they have been shipping to consumers as well. Their greens are high in nitrates, regeneratively grown, harvested and shipped fresh overnight, and have more flavor and more tender texture than the clamshell packaged greens from the grocery store.
That being said, I will admit that the cost is high and may be prohibitive, but they are well worth it. They ship you A LOT of greens - five very large bags including baby lettuces, mesclun, baby kale, Swiss chard, and spinach. It is enough to feed a family of six for a week. The only trouble is - how to use all those luscious greens within a week when you are a family of two! I use them raw in salads but sometimes that's just not enough to get through the shipment. Enter this flavorful and quick 8-7-6 pasta - 8 cloves of garlic, 7 cups of chopped greens, and 6 ounces of pasta form the basis of this yummy dish.
8-7-6 Pasta
Serves 2
8 garlic cloves, peeled and divided 7 and 1
7 cups chopped greens of choice* (I used spinach, baby kale, and baby Swiss chard)
6 ounces whole grain pasta of choice (I like brown rice spaghetti style noodles)
Sauce ingredients:
Heaping 1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup oat milk (or plant milk of choice)
1 scallion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Chop seven of the garlic cloves. In a large fry pan, sauté chopped garlic cloves with the greens until the greens are completely wilted and tender.
Place remaining garlic clove, cashews, oat milk, scallion pieces and garlic powder in a high-powered blender**. Blend until completely smooth. Add sauce to greens and heat through.
Divide the pasta between two plates and top each with the greens mixture.
*Tip: After washing the greens you don't need to dry them. The water on the leaves will help steam the greens and prevent them from sticking.
**If you don't have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews in water for an hour or two then drain before blending with the other sauce ingredients.