Sometimes, I don't know where I get these ideas for these recipes. Other times, there is clear inspiration. This one definitely has clear inspiration.
Everyone loves pasta, but coming up with creative ways to enjoy it can be a bit more challenging. Most folks will go for a tomato sauce, a cream sauce, or a cheese sauce. And while all of these applications are lovely, it oftentimes needs sprucing up. This is when hybrids (like vodka sauce) and raw sauces (like pesto) usually make an appearance, before being phased out themselves. And let's set the record straight: I will never be baking feta cheese and cherry tomatoes for a viral pasta recipe. So, what was I to do?
This is where the copy-catting comes into play. I recently made Andy Baraghani's Broccoli Soup with Turmeric, Peanuts, and Crispy Shallots and immediately thought to myself how scaled-down proportions would make for a killer pasta sauce. Could you imagine a plate of bright green, deliciously vegetal pasta? Yes I could, and that's because I had seen it before in Sohla El-Waylly's Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta, a recipe I have made before and enjoyed. Naturally, this dish became a conceptualized Frankenstein of the two.
The approach is simple: the sauce is a variation on Andy's soup, just scaled down with turmeric and accoutrement omitted. Sohla's dish serves more as inspiration for plating, by topping with my own ground meat creation: ground turkey laced with a pomegranate agrodolce.
Sure, it's stunning on the plate. But how does it taste?
Andy's broccoli soup recipe cleverly adds fish sauce to play with the "green" flavor of the broccoli and spinach, and adds a rich, slight funkiness, so I was diligent to ensure that the fish sauce was still present in my adaptation. As for the turkey, let's just say pomegranate agrodolce might be my new favorite thing. The meat gets coated in a slick, sweet and sour syrup that pops with brightness against the earthy pasta sauce. And if you're morally opposed to ground turkey, any ground meat will work with this application.
I don't know how anyone could be mad at something so pretty and green. We aren't used to seeing pasta this way. A dish that looks like this is bound to put a smile on your face, and it has the added bonus of being surprisingly delicious. It tastes healthy, but in the way you want something to taste healthy. But it's not too healthy - it is pasta after all.
With ri-green-toni (hey, I tried...)
~c.j.
RIGATONI WITH BROCCOLI SAUCE & POMEGRANATE AGRODOLCE TURKEY
PREP TIME: 5-10 minutes
ACTIVE COOK TIME: 25 minutes
INACTIVE COOK TIME: 50 minutes (a lot of things boiling/simmering at the same time)
TOTAL COOK TIME: With some multi-tasking, you can get this done in about 45 minutes
YIELD: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
kosher salt
12 oz large tubular pasta, such as rigatoni
1/2 large red onion, diced
1/3 c. pomegranate molasses
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 c. shelled pistachios
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb ground turkey
freshly cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed
12 oz broccoli florets
1 small Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into chunks (about 6 oz)
3 oz baby spinach
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 red chili, seeded and thinly sliced
fresh basil, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot full of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water, then add the pasta and cook one minute less than the box instructs for al dente. Strain the pasta, reserving 2 1/2 c. pasta water. Set pasta and pasta water aside.
Meanwhile, make the agrodolce: in a small saucepan, combine pomegranate molasses, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 c. of the chopped red onion. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and allow to gently simmer about 20-25 minutes. This gives you plenty of time to continue cooking.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pistachios and toast, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Remove pistachios from the pan and reserve. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the skillet and allow to warm up. Add the turkey and cook, seasoning with salt and pepper and breaking into pieces with a wooden spoon until turkey is opaque and fully cooked, 5-7 minutes. Add pistachios and agrodolce to turkey and toss. Remove from heat.
To make the pasta sauce: In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add remaining red onion and cook until soft, transluscent, and some dark spots are visible, 7-9 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, and additional 1-2 minutes. Add broccoli, potato, and reserved 2 1/2 c. pasta water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until broccoli and potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste, and add the fish sauce. Blend off the heat using an immersion blender or in batches in a standing blender. (If using a standing blender, return sauce to the pot). Add the pasta to the sauce and return to heat. Gently warm through.
Serve pasta with turkey mixture overtop. Garnish with chili slices and mint.