Creamy Mustard Greens & Spinach Pasta
This creamy pasta is a delicious way to enjoy homegrown mustard greens without their peppery flavour becoming too strong. Mixing them with spinach gives you the distinctive flavour of mustard greens while keeping the dish mild, creamy and family-friendly.
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g spaghetti, linguine or your preferred pasta
100–125g mustard greens
100–125g spinach
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
150ml single cream
50g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
Salt and black pepper
A little reserved pasta water
Method
Wash the mustard greens and spinach thoroughly. Remove any particularly thick stalks from the mustard greens, then roughly chop the leaves and tender stems.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente.
Before draining the pasta, reserve a mugful of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for about 1 minute, taking care not to let it brown.
Add the mustard greens with a small splash of water and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the spinach and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until all the greens have softened.
Reduce the heat and add the cream, Parmesan and lemon zest. Stir gently until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
Add the drained pasta and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together, adding a little more pasta water if needed to create a silky sauce.
Stir through the lemon juice, then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Divide between bowls and finish with a little extra Parmesan.
A note about mustard greens
Mustard greens can vary quite a lot in strength. Young leaves tend to be milder and gently peppery, while older, larger leaves can develop a much stronger, spicier flavour.
For this recipe, we recommend using roughly half mustard greens and half spinach. The spinach balances the peppery flavour while still allowing the mustard greens to shine.
If your mustard greens are particularly strong, simply use a little less mustard greens and a little more spinach.
WANT TO GROW YOUR OWN FRESH MUSTARD GREENS?
If you love fresh, peppery flavours, mustard greens are a brilliant crop to grow at home. Fast growing, full of flavour and packed with character, they’re a great addition to salads, stir-fries and cooked dishes.
Perfect for pots, containers, raised beds and smaller growing spaces, mustard greens are easy to grow from seed and can be harvested young for tender leaves or allowed to mature for a stronger, more pronounced flavour.
Pick the outer leaves as you need them and keep harvesting to encourage fresh growth. Their peppery bite adds something completely different to your homegrown salads and makes them a lovely crop to grow alongside milder leafy greens.
Ready to grow your own?
Get your Mustard Greens seeds today and start your journey from Pot to Plate with Seed Folk.
Let's Grow Together.
Check out our step-by-step growing guide for Mustard Greens.
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