Green Garlic Pesto Pasta

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Separate the stem and bulb of the green garlic. Thinly slice the stem. Quarter the bulb, then thinly slice. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce; separate the leaves. Peel the carrot; grate on the large side of a box grater. Using the flat side of your knife, smash the olives; remove and discard the pits, then roughly chop. Roughly chop the almonds.

In a medium pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the green garlic stem and bulb; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the arugula and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the arugula has wilted. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, finely chop the cooked greens.

Transfer the chopped greens to a bowl. Slowly stir in enough olive oil to create a rough paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook 10 to 11 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add the pesto and half the reserved pasta cooking water. Cook on low, stirring vigorously, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the pasta is thoroughly coated. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining pasta cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the pasta cooks, in a bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, the juice of all 4 lemon wedges and half the parmesan cheese. Slowly whisk in 2 teaspoons of olive oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine the lettuce, carrot, olives, sunflower seeds and enough of the dressing to coat the salad (you may have extra dressing). Toss to thoroughly combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish. Divide the finished pasta between 2 dishes. Garnish with the almonds and remaining parmesan cheese. Serve with the salad on the side. Enjoy!