PASTA WITH GROUND PORK, GREENS AND ITALIAN-STYLE SAUSAGE SEASONINGS

SERVES 4 to 6

Sometimes you have to create recipes around a family member’s dietary needs. My mother developed a skin rash, probably due to an allergic reaction, and my first thought was tomatoes, since she had been on tomato “overload” all summer. So, she tried to cut down on her tomato consumption. But we were both really craving my Pasta with Pork and Tomato Ragu. I had to come up with something that would satisfy, and this was it. I love the combination of the ground pork and greens with the Italian sausage seasonings. And, since the ground pork I use is very lean, it is healthier and lighter than pasta made with store-bought sausage. I will make this even when we can have tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 1-1/4 pounds lean ground pork

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon dry rubbed sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried savory

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped, about 1-1/2 cups

6 large garlic cloves, minced

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen chopped turnip greens (or similar frozen greens)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 pound penne rigata (or similar pasta)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the pork. Sauté, stirring and breaking apart into very small pieces. Add the fennel seed, sage, thyme, marjoram, savory, salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium. Add the red peppers and sauté until tender and meat is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the water and wine, stirring to scrape up all of the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the greens, additional salt and pepper, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until greens are tender, about 20 minutes, depending on type of greens used. (Something like spinach greens take less time than turnip greens.) Add a little more water while cooking if the mixture dries out.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions for al denta. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Taste the pork and greens, adding more seasoning if necessary. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss well. If needed, add some of the reserved pasta water for extra moisture. Cover and let set for about one minute. Serve immediately, passing the cheese separately.

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