Be Our Guest: Pop Up Dining
Common in urban areas—and on “Top Chef”—a pop-up is a restaurant-quality meal prepared by a pro in a non-restaurant environment. Three Delmarva chefs offer a different but memorable experience, and th...
This dish from Chef Paul Cullen salutes his Italian heritage with a twist on the traditional.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 8 Serving(s)
- 12 ounces of rinsed then dried dandelion leaves (you can substitute arugula)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 6 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
- Pinch of sea salt and crushed black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided in half
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Olive oil for cooking
- 1 pound calamari pasta (calamari is a tubular pasta) or orecchiette pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet or hot), cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound baby bella mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice), cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, medium chop
Preparation
Place the greens, garlic, pine nuts, sea salt and pepper, and half the Parmesan in a food processor. Pulse while adding the olive oil, little by little, until the mixture becomes a paste.
In a saute pan, add enough oil to coat the pan. Heat to medium-high. Add the sausage and cook through for 10-to-12 minutes.
Add onions and then mushrooms. Cook for another 8-10 minutes. Let simmer.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to directions for al dente. With a slotted spoon, add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sausage. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the pesto, a little at a time, until the pasta is nicely coated.
Plate with a sprinkle of remaining Parmesan, and, if you like, red pepper flakes.
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