I love Italian food and especially Italian greens. The puntarelle, radicchio, and escarole greens are grown locally in my area. At home I cook my Mediterranean Greens using Dinosaur kale, collards, and purple Red Russian varieties. In this recipe I have used Dinosaur kale, but any mixture of Mediterranean Greens can be substituted. I have also made this recipe combining the three greens. This is a wonderful Mediterranean dish and I hope you will try it at home sometime.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ Cup onions, finely minced
• 2 Pounds greens, center rib removed and washed but not dried
• ¼ Cup raisins
• ¼ Cup olives, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 Shallot, sliced thinly
• 4 Tablespoons capers
• ½ Pound wild mushroom, cleaned thoroughly and chopped
• 1 Cup cooked garbanzo beans
• 6 Fresh tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 2 Cups fresh broccoli, clean, cut, and steamed
• 1 Cup sunflower seeds
• ½ Cup raw almonds
• 2 Cups water
• 3 Tablespoon lemon
• 3 Tablespoon arrowroot
• ½ Teaspoon sea salt
• 1 Teaspoon agave
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil 6 Cups Ziti pasta, cooked 

Prepare:

1. Steam broccoli until tender, drain and set aside
2. In a preheated frying pan, sauté mushroom with 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for 5 minutes or till well cooked. Set aside.
3. Cook Ziti pasta according to directions on box, drain, rinse, and set aside
4. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat
5. Add onions and shallot sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until it turns translucent
6. Add the greens and tomatoes sauté for 1 minute
7. Add the raisins and cook until the greens turn bright green
8. Stir in olives, broccoli, garbanzo beans and mushrooms, cook 1 minute
9. Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes
10. Add balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
11. Adjust seasoning by adding more vinegar, oil, or pepper as necessary 

Prepare 1 Day Before:

1. Bring 2 cups water to boil and blanch almonds for 1 minute
2. Place almonds and water in blender and blend until very smooth
3. Add lemon, arrowroot, sea salt, agave, and olive oil to blender
4. Blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes
5. Add blended ingredients to saucepan, cook over low heat, stir until it thickens
6. Put in a bowl and refrigerate overnight, till set 

Serve:

1. Add pasta to a dinner size plate
2. Top with cooked Mediterranean Greens
3. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and capers
4. Break up the Ricotta cheese and sprinkle over top 

Makes 8 Servings