wicked good winter greens pasta
eat your greens!
The month of January on our farm is a time of rest (ie, catching up on Season 2 of The Bear), but it’s also a time to work through my looong list of winter farm projects that I’m too busy to tackle during the growing season.
One project that’s been on our winter to-do list for approximately… 5 years? Building a proper composting system. Well, it took us long enough, but I’m happy to report that as of this week, we officially have a bonafide, fancy schmancy 3-bay composting system, and she is a thing of BEAUTY (see exhibit A below):
Full disclosure, I hired a skilled neighbor to complete the project because I finally accepted that, let’s be honest, I was never going to build this thing myself. Basic carpentry is a skill-set that I’ve yet to acquire, and while I know it’s never too late (!) and eventually I’d love to take some carpentry classes so that I’m not so intimidated by nail guns and table saws… but in this season of life (aka when I have a newborn and rambunctious toddler), it’s probably not the time to try and become a skilled carpenter. I’m all for that DIY way of life (and 95% of farming is fixing things / creative problem solving), but I’m learning to accept that it’s okay to ask for help, and it’s okay to not do everything yourself.
(Side note – the only family member who is NOT thrilled about this snazzy new fully enclosed compost situation? Our sweet, sweet floof of a dog, Arlo. I’m so sorry Arlo, but your compost eating days are OVER).
But back to the compost bin. In the next week or two, I’m going to share a full post on the design of this 3-bay system (with a full materials list + detailed building instructions), the benefits (and some drawbacks) of this style of composting, as well as some composting strategies for smaller spaces. If you have any specific questions when it comes to composting, please let me know in the comments so I can address them in the forthcoming post!
Need some culinary inspiration for the weekend? Here’s my weekly round up of seasonal recipes from around Substack to help you eat like a farmer:
White Bean Soup with Crispy Kale from
/Miso Mushroom Congee from
/Squash Soup with Lentils & Herbs from
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When I say this pasta recipe is good, I’m telling you, it’s wicked good.
And BONUS, the sauce packs in nearly a pound of spinach (or whatever greens you want to use), so it’s actually good for you. YES, thank you, more please.
To make this recipe for wicked good winter greens pasta, you start by quickly blanching your greens in a big pot of salted water, while also gently toasting some garlic in olive oil, and then you whiz all the greens + garlic + oil + goat/parm cheese + lemon zest/juice together in a blender until you’ve got the greenest, creamiest, and most vibrant pasta sauce ever. Cook your pasta (use whatever kind of noodles you want) in the same pot of water that you cooked the greens in, then toss the noodles with your green sauce, top with extra cheese for good measure, and you’ve got dinner.
A few notes about the types of winter greens you could use for this sauce:
SPINACH – spinach is my first choice, as it’s the most tender and mild tasting, and will give you a super smooth and bright green sauce.
KALE – kale is also a great option, though you’ll want to blanch it a bit longer than spinach (it will need 2-3 minutes), and the sauce may be a darker in color and taste a bit more robust/earthy.
ARUGULA – arugula is one of my favorite winter greens, and it would be delicious in this recipe. It’s very tender and only needs about 30-60 seconds of blanching. If you use arugula, your sauce will have a spicier kick, and it should be a nice vibrant green color.
SWISS CHARD – chard is another great winter greens option! It will only need 1-2 minutes of blanching, and will have a mild flavor most similar to spinach. A heads up that the color of the sauce might be a bit darker green than if you used spinach or arugula.
MIX & MATCH – you can totally use a combination of different greens for this recipe! You just want a total of 10-12 ounces (which ends up being 10-12 tightly packed cups) of whatever greens you decide to use. You do you!
A note that this sauce will be bright green when you first whiz it up and toss it with your noodles, but as it sits it tends to darken in color due to oxidation. Don’t fret! I promise it will still taste just as delicious.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).
PS – this recipe was inspired by the fabulous Caro Chambers, but I’ve given it my own spin and hope you love it as much as I do!
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Wicked Good Winter Greens Pasta
Serves 4-6
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