Chef notes
Can I have a date? No, not that kind — we mean the fruits that grow naturally on large trees in the Middle East. Jokes aside, chewy, sweet dates are great blended into smoothies, eaten straight as a snack or used as the perfect topping for savory dishes, like this unexpected weekday pasta.
This recipe is a fun change of pace to the red sauce or cacio e pepe recipes you likely already have already in your rotation. It’s the perfect combination of herby, nutty, sweet and salty and is sure to become a favorite in your household. The herby, pesto-like sauce comes together quickly in a food processor and is mixed with rigatoni — or your favorite pasta noodle — before it’s dotted with sliced dates to create a fun contrast in every bite.
Technique Tip: While blending the sauce, use a tamp to make sure the greens are moving and blending at a proper rate. Use reserved starchy pasta water to thicken the sauce and create a creamy, coated pasta. The sauce can be made up to one day in advance.
Swap Option: Pine nuts can be swapped for walnuts or almonds, spinach can be swapped for blanched kale and rigatoni can be swapped for any other pasta of your choice (preferably a noodle with a hole that can hold all that saucy goodness).
Special Equipment Required: You’ll need a high-speed blender or food processor to make the herby sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried rigatoni
- 6 cups baby spinach
- 3 cups picked fresh soft-herbs (such as basil, mint, dill, parsley, or chives)
- 1 medium clove garlic
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 8 large medjool dates, pitted and thinly sliced
- 1 cup finely grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, finely chopped
Preparation
1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heavily salt the water and cook the pasta, according to the package instructions. Drain and reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water.
2.Add dates to a bowl with warm water and soak for 10 minutes to plump before slicing.
3.In a food processor, add spinach, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon juice and zest. Pulse to combine. Add olive oil and blend until smooth and saucy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
4.Add the rigatoni and sauce into a large bowl and toss to combine, adding 1/2 cup of pasta water at a time, stirring in between, to allow the sauce to stick to the pasta. You may have water left, that is okay. Once the pasta is thoroughly coated in sauce, add in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/2 of the chopped dates. Toss to combine.
5.Divide into plates, top with pine nuts, remaining and parmesan and dates and enjoy.
