Hibiscus Rigatoni, exclusively Skirt in the Kitchen
It’s a trick, it’s deception, though in a good way. It’s hiding greens for kids to eat, and adults who don’t like their vegetables, while it still tastes good to them. Every pasta lover will love this. Every green fanatic and cheese enthusiast will, too.
Hibiscus Rigatoni is not pretty when it’s in the process of being made because it’s pesto from organic Hibiscus leaves. It began as an experiment I had, just on a whim. The more I added ingredients with each step, and the more I kept grinding to blend into pesto, the brighter green and mushier it got. I wondered if I was making a huge mistake as much as wasting my valuable time. Miraculously, it turned around from a blob of monster mash into this fantastic pasta casserole that serves a large family.
Toast 1/2 cup raw sunflower kernels in a 375 degree oven, the same temperature needed to cook the casserole. This will only take a few minutes. Toast until the kernels are lightly tinted and the scent is vivid, being careful not to get them too toasted, too done.
Choose young, healthy pesticide-free Hibiscus leaves. They are loaded with antioxidants. Pack into 4 cups, including the stems, and place in a food processor. If using a blender, make the pesto in small portions, dividing the recipe, then combining all of it in the end.
Add coarse salt and red pepper flakes with the sunflower kernels,
Drizzle 4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, the juice of 2 lemons, 8 ounces grated Romano cheese, and enough water to get it started. Make sure the consistency isn’t runny or dry. More extra-virgin olive oil and water may be needed, but a little at a time. Taste-test for more salt and pepper.
Brown 1 pound lean ground beef with 1 red onion. Close to the end of browning, add 1 large finely chopped garlic clove. For this reason, the garlic will not cook long, and it will not have a chance to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn, making it bitter.
Combine the pesto into the meat and 1 1/2 pounds cooked al dente rigatoni pasta. Stir in 32 ounces tomato sauce.
Place in buttered casserole dishes. Cover the top with grated mozzarella and more Romano cheese, then with Panko dried bread crumbs mixed with melted butter for a crunch. 
Bake until golden-brown.
leafy green
Leave a Reply