sorrel with pasta and pork
As a regular reader, you know how much I love our local farmers’ markets. There’s always something new and interesting. I have my favorite vendors I like to visit and one, in particular, is Offbeat Farm. Sarah and Jamie are an energetic and enthusiastic couple and they love what they do – farm on less than one-half acre! Last Saturday I picked up a bunch of their sorrel. Jamie’s eyes lit up when I asked him what’s his favorite way to prepare it; on its own, in a salad, blanched where some of his recommendations. I took a quick nibble from a leaf and because it’s a young crop, the taste was an explosion of a citrusy-tangy-sour mouthfeel. I grabbed their last bag!
Sorrel’s lemony tang is perfect for the meal I had in mind. I recently purchased a spaetzle maker and was going to make some spaetzle but it was getting close to supper time and wasn’t feeling quite up to the task (a recipe will follow, I promise). So, instead, I cooked pasta while I prepared the sorrel and pork. Dinner was ready in under 20 minutes!
- 1/2 lb. minced pork
- 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 handfuls of sorrel, washed and roughly chopped
- 2 to 3 handfuls short shaped pasta (farfalle, penne, <g data-gr-id=”54″ id=”54″ class=”gr_ gr_54 gr-alert gr_spell ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace”>campanelle</g>, <g data-gr-id=”55″ id=”55″ class=”gr_ gr_55 gr-alert gr_spell ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace”>casarecce</g>, cavatelli, egg noodles)
- shaved Parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler)
- Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
- While pasta is cooking, grab a frying pan and over medium heat add minced pork and fennel seeds. If the pork is lean, you may need to add a bit of olive oil.
- When pork is nearly cooked, add garlic. Stir to combine. Add sun-dried tomatoes and sorrel. Combine until sorrel has wilted slightly. By this time the pasta is ready to be added. Toss pasta until well incorporated.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately with shaved Parmesan and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: Use about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to loosen up the meat if it looks a bit dry. Sorrel is lovely in soups, sauces, with eggs, fish, and cheese. Enjoy!