A Celebration of Green: Herbed Fettuccine, Spinach-Poached Egg

A Celebration of Green

Herbed Fettuccine, Spinach-Poached Egg, Artichoke Heart
Asparagus, Baby Heirloom Tomato, Shredded Parmesan, Raw Pepitas
Tarragon, Marjoram, Thyme, Chervil

I simply cannot go to the Farmers Market without bringing home load of …everything green. Yesterday’s haul included tomatillos, asparagus, artichokes, raw pepitas, spinach, chervil, jalapeños, chervil, chives, little green tomatoes, sage, basil, tarragon, summer squash, thyme, marjoram. And probably more.

What shall I do with all this GREEN stuff? Pairing with pasta sounds good…but not all the produce can end up in the final dish. It has to be balanced, the herbs and other ingredients have to harmonize. Alas the tomatillos, summer squash & jalapeños will be saved for another day. Asparagus stays. I’ll use marjoram for pretty floral and subtle lemony notes, tarragon for its sweet anise-like spice, thyme for pungency and earthiness, and chervil for its bright green color and lacy texture.

Herbed Fettuccine, Spinach-Poached Egg, Artichoke Heart Recipe

Dressing

• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 t. salt

Whisk ingredients together and set aside.

Trim artichokes. Place in a large pot of boiling water flavored with a quartered lemon, a few smashed cloves of garlic, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook covered, over medium low heat for about an hour until tender. Enjoy the leaves as an appetizer with Sriracha mayonnaise, reserve the hearts.

Cook asparagus in boiling salted water for a couple minutes, until al dente. Shock in an ice bath, drain on paper towels.

Finely chop herbs: tarragon, marjoram, chervil, thyme. Cook spinach fettuccine to al dente. Then toss with olive oil.

Place a bunch of spinach in a blender and add about one cup of water. Blend, then pour the spinach liquid into a small pot, add a bit of salt and a splash of vinegar. Bring to a boil and immediately add eggs. Poach for three minutes.

To assemble: Place warm fettuccine in the the center of a platter. Top with shredded Parmesan and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Arrange asparagus and tomatoes around the pasta. Scatter raw pepitas around the plate. Place a warm artichoke heart in the center of the pasta. Remove poached egg from the spinach water with a slotted spoon and place atop the artichoke heart. Drizzle dressing over the egg and the vegetables. Garnish with a sprig of tarragon and chervil.

Enjoy by slicing the egg and artichoke heart into bite-sized pieces. Mix with the pasta, creating a heavenly sauce from the liquid yolk.

Our Creative Cooking Crew Challenge

The Creative Cooking Crew is a group of 24 innovative food bloggers hosted by Laz of Lazaro Cooks! and Joan of FOODalogue. Each month brings a new culinary challenge with a round-up of all the entries posted at the end of the month. Although there is no real judging and the challenges are all just for fun, we take pride in sharing our entries, pushing our culinary limits.

“Farmers Market on a Plate”

June’s Challenge is COLOR. “Pick a color (just one) and create a complete and cohesive dish with the main ingredients being only that color. For artistic purposes, you may use one other color very sparingly for presentation (as a garnish to offset your chosen color), but the main ingredients that compose your dish should be the same color.  Your plate is your canvas. Go for it and have fun!”

Laz will showcase all the MONOCHROMATIC DISHES in the round-up on his blog on June 28th. So far our crew has prepared fantastic dishes that range from elegant to majestic in white, gold, yellow, purple, green, red, and ultraviolet (you gotta see this!). Check out the Creative Cooking Crew’s PINTEREST BOARD here for super-colorful inspiration!