The sound of birds chirping, a faint breeze in the air, flowers making their debut after sleeping dormant under the ground all winter. It’s that time of the year again. When we can come out of hibernation.
For the past several years my cooking has been inspired by the seasons. Its fun and inspiring to walk the stalls of local farmer’s markets and try to utilize up the fresh fare that you can find there.
And this year we plan on growing waayyyyy more of our own as well; the possibilities make me giddy.
In our area of Virginia it’s still pretty chilly (we have another month until our frost date passes) but I’m already getting my palette ready with some dishes that just scream of Spring. Today we’re talking about this Tuscan inspired pasta:
To me cooking is a fun, creative experience. But I can’t spend hours simmering sauces, I just don’t have the time– or quite frankly, the desire. It’s no secret that I love hybrid recipes like this: They’re easy, straightforward, and despite all of the shortcuts that we use, they still come out crazy delicious. 
For this recipe we made a burgundy sauce in a super easy way by utilizing Bertolli® Riserva Marinara. Their sauces are inspired by Tuscan gardens, and so far our family has loved trying all of the different varieties.
With grilled artichokes, fresh mustard greens and a little bit of fresh shredded cheese, you can make a filling, beautiful dish in the time it takes to boil pasta.
I can spend all day harping on about this, but I’ll let the pictures tell my story for now:
Save RecipeIngredients
- olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 grilled artichokes hearts (We bought these, but you can also grill them yourself) + juice from the jar of artichokes
- 1 bunch mustard greens
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Bertolli Riserva Marinara
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the mustard greens by dropping them in and letting them boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and chop it up. Set aside.
- In a sautee pan, heat a small amount of olive oil and add your onions, garlic and artichokes until they start to brown. Add a splash of the juice from the jar of artichokes and keep cooking for about 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and continue simmering for 5 minutes until it reduces. Add your sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add mustard greens, stir, and serve over fresh pasta with cracked peppercorns and shredded Asiago Cheese.
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