If you visit a farmers’ market, you’ll often find beets sold with the greens still attached. It may seem like those leafy bits are just adding weight on the scale, but they’re great quickly wilted down, as in this pasta dish.
Game plan: If you buy beet greens that are still attached to the beetroots, be sure to cut the greens off as soon as you get home or they will pull the water from the roots, causing the beets to shrivel.
When cooking the greens, you probably won’t be able to fit them into the pan all at once. Add as many as will fit, let them wilt slightly, then add a few more until they are all in the pan.
This recipe was featured as part of our Cooking with Winter Ingredients photo gallery.
Beverage pairing: Mancini Vermentino di Gallura, Italy. Strong flavors of greens, salt, and sharp cheese need a white wine that can hold its own. Vermentino from the island of Sardinia matches the pasta note for note while bringing citrus and dried herb flavors to the occasion.
