Author Notes: Everyone thinks of radishes as something to eat raw in a salad. But while researching medieval Venetian foodways for my children’s cookbook – Eat It! Food Adventures, I learned that our ancestors weren’t shy about cooking radishes, much like we do turnips and carrots. I devised a contemporary version of a likely dish. – Gracie Cavnar —Gracie Cavnar
Food52 Review: I’d never considered cooking radishes before, so I was excited to try this recipe out. I wasn’t certain if the radishes were supposed to be cooked over low, medium, or high heat so I split the difference and opted for low-medium heat. That quibble aside, this was a pretty quick and simple dish. The cooked radishes lost their pungent and sometimes unappetizing smell and flavor, taking on a slight nuttiness while retaining just a bit of crunch. I didn’t care for sriracha with this dish though, it’s too strong a flavor. On the other hand, a little bit of white truffle oil and a dash of salt finished the dish off perfectly! – GirlPlusFire —The Editors
Serves: 6 as an entree
Ingredients
-
2
tablespoons olive oil
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2
cloves garlic
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1
medium onion
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2
bunches fresh radishes with tops, preferably french red and whites
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12
ounces package dried orecchiette
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1/4
cup cooking water reserved from pasta
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1/3
cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
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salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Separate the greens from the radishes and wash in several changes of cool water to remove all traces of sand.
- Dry greens in a spinner and chop coarsely.
- Wash radish bulbs well and slice thinly crosswise. Set aside.
- Fill a large stockpot with water and set over high heat.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or saute pan with lid to fit.
- Add onions and cook until they begin to soften.
- Add minced garlic and cook until it releases its aroma (about a minute.)
- Add radish slices and greens, stir to coat with oil and aromatics.
- Cover skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes until greens melt and radishes are translucent. Remove from heat.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- When stockpot of water comes to a boil, add pasta and cook for approximately 12 minutes until al dente.
- Drain the cooked pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.
- Add cooked pasta and 1/4 cup cooking water to the skillet. Toss to combine.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve in flat bowls garnished with Parmesan Cheese, cracked black pepper. Offer a selection of hot sauces,like Sriracha Hot chile Sauce on the side.