Stovetop ZENB Penne with Winter Vegetables

The goal of this recipe is to enjoy the earthy and naturally sweet flavors from winter vegetables with a great Penne dish. The naturally salty flavor of the Parmesan cheese and wintry sage leaves create a beautiful balance of flavor and ZENB Penne is a perfect shape for this dish. It catches bits of vegetables and the cheese. You can use other winter vegetables like celery root, fennel or radishes here as well. You should aim for about 1-1/2 –2 cups of each vegetable cut up to start the dish. Don’t be afraid if some of the vegetables cook more than others, it’s part of the way the dish should be: a variety of tastes and textures.

• 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 12-15 sage leaves, stemmed
• Kosher salt
• 1 large turnip, peeled & cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 small head rutabaga, peeled & cut into 2-inch cubes
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 large carrot, peeled & cut into ¼ inch rounds
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 12 ounces ZENB Yellow Pea Penne Pasta, uncooked
• 2/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1.

Cook the sage leaves: Heat large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. When it begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat and add the sage leaves. Stir them to coat with the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until the sage pales slightly in color and gets slightly crisp, 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the leaves. Season them with salt and allow them to cool.

2.

Cook the vegetables: In the same pan, add the turnip and rutabaga. Season the mixture with salt and the red pepper flakes and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables start to soften and brown slightly, 5-8 minutes.

3.

Finish the vegetables: Add ½ cup water and the carrots and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife, 8-10 additional minutes. Sprinkle with the red wine vinegar. Taste for seasoning.

4.

The pasta: In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. The pasta water should taste like sea water. Add the ZENB Penne to the pot and stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom as it cooks. Cook the pasta until “al dente”, chewy but not hard or raw tasting, 6-8 minutes, and drain in a colander. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid in case.

5.

The dish: In the pot where you cooked the pasta, toss the sauce with the hot pasta and stir in the cheese. Taste for seasoning. Add some of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick or dry. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the sage leaves and a touch more cheese, if desired.