Pasta with Agretti and Garlic

Leave it to the Italians to make a vegetable sound sexy. When I spotted agretti at the Jones Valley Farm  stand at last weekend’s Dane County Farmers’ Market, I couldn’t resist. Throughout the season, they have an assortment of unusual products; last week, I spotted fava bean tenders, Sylvetta arugula as well as kale, lettuce and radishes. The agretti stood out; slender green tentacles, crisp, succulent and slightly acidic. I grabbed a bunch to take home, with the recommendation to make a pasta dish. I sauted the agretti with white wine, garlic and butter, added some fresh tomatoes at the end and served it over pasta with grana from Bleu Mont Dairy. Delicioso! The agretti season is short. Get it while you can!

Pasta with Agretti and Garlic

serves 4

1/2 pound pasta ( I used rombi)

2 tbsp  oil

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup white wine

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bunch agretti, large stems removed, washed, and chopped roughly into 2” pieces,  (about 2 cups loosely packed)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, etc.

parmesan or grana

salt and pepper

 Method

1. Bring water to boil for pasta

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in skillet

3. Stir in agretti and saute for 1 minute, add white wine, let cook 1 minute

4. Add butter and garlic, reduce heat to med-low

5. Saute about 3 minutes until warm

6. Add tomato halves, herbs, salt and pepper to taste

7. Cook pasta according to directions

8. When pasta is done, remove from water and put into skillet with sauce. Toss pasta into sauce

9. Garnish with grated grana or aged cheese

10. Serve immediately

recipe by Otehlia Cassidy

originally published in Madison Magazine, June 2014