Pasta with Lettuce and Walnuts: A Recipe That Recycles Damaged Leaves

• Preparation time: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 20 minutes 
• difficulty: low

When you clean green salad, especially a sweet salad like lettuce, don't throw away the tougher outer leaves, perhaps those with damaged edges: they can become the vegetable base for an excellent first course. 

Ingredients for people 4

• 1 green leaves of sweet salad (lettuce)
• 15/20 walnuts 
• 320 grams of pasta (short pasta is best)
• Extra virgin olive oil
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Preparation

• Wash the lettuce leaves thoroughly, remove any damaged parts, drain them and set them aside.  
• Shell the walnuts and break the kernels into pieces.
• Chop the salad leaves with a knife.
• In a large pan, large enough to hold the pasta, pour two or three turns of light extra virgin olive oil, heat it and add the salad.
• When it starts to wilt, add the chopped walnuts.
• Cook everything together for a few minutes, just long enough for the two ingredients to blend. Season with salt sparingly.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta: when it's cooked to perfection, remove a ladle of water and add it to the sauce. Turn off the heat.
• Drain the pasta, pour it into the pan with the lettuce and walnuts and mix everything together.
• Serve the pasta immediately, piping hot.

• Although very simple, waste-free, and vegan, in addition to its many nutritional qualities, this pasta is truly delicious and unusual, even suitable for a dinner with guests.

Read also:

• Stewed lettuce leaves
• Lettuce salad with blueberries and avocado
• Risotto with broad beans, peas and lettuce
• Penne with ham and lettuce sauce: a tasty recipe to empty the fridge.