Wild Green Recipes: Dandelion Currant Pasta

Urban foraging was once the realm of hard-core locavores. Not anymore. Some farmers' markets now offer wild greens (a.k.a. edible weeds) and foraging groups abound. If you plan to forage for your wild greens, make sure you're picking what you think you're picking, as many edible weeds have toxic look-alikes.

This week, we'll show you how to prepare your wild greens.

Recipe #1: Dandelion Currant Pasta

Dandelions are everywhere, and they're notoriously difficult to eradicate. Instead of fighting them, harvest the the greens while they're young (they get bitter once they flower) and cook them up in this nutritious pasta dish! Up the green (and tasty) factor of your meal by pairing it with one of these eco-friendly wines.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 oz thick pasta (linguine and farfalle both work well)

4 tbsp olive oil

As much garlic as you can stand (at least 1 clove per person)

¼ cup currants

¼ cup pine nuts

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups cleaned young dandelions leaves

Directions:

Start cooking the pasta in a medium sauce pan. When the pasta has about 5 minutes left to cook, start sautéing the garlic and olive oil in a large saucepan. 

When the pasta is al dente, add the dandelions to the pasta pot. Drain at once and add to the garlic-olive oil mixture. Toss in the currants and pine nuts, and mix well. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Read more: 4 tips on how to green your garden.

--By Laura Hayden / image courtesy of iStock/ac_bnphotos

Laura Hayden is an editorial intern at SIERRA Magazine. She is a rising senior at Mount Holyoke College, where she is pursuing a major in Environmental Studies, and a minor in Journalism. She has a passion for all things pertaining to growing (and eating) food, and renewable energy.