Going with the flow

I like the idea of continuity, of things, events, interactions, and ideas flowing seamlessly into each other. The same can be said for the way I approach my work - it's wonderful when the pieces fall together and there is a natural progression of how events unfold. 

Happily, all this happened the other night when I made this dinner. Gently sauteed collard greens, a mix of whole wheat and regular pasta liberally dressed with grated cheese, and a fried egg to top it all off.

I was channeling the mantras and themes of some of my favorite Italian [cook]books and the artists who put them together, namely Rosetta Costantino's My Calabria, and Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun.  I loved these books for the authors' approach to good food. It begins with carefully selected and fresh ingredients, and culminates in simple preparations that really allow them to speak for themselves. I've come to adopt these principles as they resonate the most with me, and they are the ones I rely and fall back on when I want a healthy and tasty meal without going too crazy over the stove. So for me that night, it was all about simplicity and celebrating the vibrancy of good and fresh ingredients. How they come together, play off of and balance each other. In what I thought was near-perfect harmony, no less.

I would recommend this dinner when you want something light and yet fulfilling. The collards pack a healthy punch of vitamins A, C, and K, not to mention calcium and fiber, the egg gives you protein, and the pasta sustains and makes you happy. Seriously :) It's cheesy, noodle-y goodness and two nutritional powerhouses, what more could you ask for from dinner?

What to do:

It was all about timing to make sure the components made it onto the plate at around the same time all piping hot and freshly prepared. Pasta and collards are cooked nearly in tandem, with the egg coming up last to make sure the yolk is liquid (and hot) enough to mingle with the rest of the dish.

This serves 2 for one meal, or 1 for 2 meals :)

-4 ounces of your favorite pasta
-1 inch cubes of Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded (I've managed to keep the Gruyere fresh for almost a month now. The wonders of special cheese-wrapping paper...in any case, I'm just glad that this one didn't go moldy on me before I was finished using it, and I'm down to my last little cube. Which most likely will be gone by the time I write my next post :)

-1 tbsp olive oil
-Red pepper flakes and black pepper, to taste
-Collard greens, 8 big leaves (they are like umbrellas or fans! What a veggie :)
-1 cup of low sodium chicken, beef, or veggie broth. I used beef.
-1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

First, wash and slice the collards into strips about an inch wide. This is easier if you cut the whole leaf downwards length wise along the rib, lay the pieces on top of each other, fold length wise in half, then slice away. Put the water for pasta on to boil. While you're waiting for that water to boil, mince your garlic and set it aside. Cook your pasta according to its directions, usually around 11 minutes, and test frequently towards the end to make sure you end up with pasta al dente, or somewhere close around there.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil on medium heat, add the two kinds of pepper, then add your strips of collard greens. Toss to coat evenly with the oil and pepper. Add the beef broth, stir, allow to come to a boil, then cover and let steam for about 3 minutes until the veggies are wilted and brilliantly deep green. Turn the heat off, add the garlic and stir, and let the residual heat do the rest of the work (cover the pan and stir occasionally to distribute flavors and heat).

Meanwhile, gently fry up your egg on the lower side of medium heat, according to your preference. I like to leave my yolk a little runny so I can break it, and let it can coat the pasta along with the cheese. It's velvety and delicious!

How's that pasta doing? If it's cooked to the texture you like, immediately remove from the stove, add cold water to the pot, then drain pasta. Plate the pasta, cover with cheese and mix to let the cheese melt into the pasta. Add veggies to the plate, then the fried egg, and dinner is served!