Lettuce suppose...

...that you have too much lettuce.  Apparently one of the top searches on Google this time of year is about using up all the lettuce in your CSA.  I have a folder of "CSA ideas on my computer, and I was looking through them and found this recipe from Mark Bittman "Pasta with Proscuitto and Lettuce" that I'd saved a few years ago but never tried (I have experimented with a lettuce soup).  With a couple of heads of lettuce and a pound of salad greens sitting in my fridge, I figured it was time to give it a try.  And I liked it!  You can pretty much use up a whole head of lettuce in one serving, thanks to the power of wilting greens with heat.  I bet you could even make this vegetarian by replacing the crisped proscuitto with some mushroom "bacon" that I've seen recipes for.  This is adapted from Bittman's recipe to serve one, now that I'm home all the time and can cook lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 slices (about 1 oz) proscuitto, sliced crosswise into 1/2" strips
• 2 oz pasta (I think flat-ish shapes work well here, like farfalle orrecchiette, but use what you have)
• 2 tbs minced shallot (a good sub from the CSA would be a couple of chopped garlic scapes)
• as much lettuce as you can stand (I've been using the heads of lettuce that we're getting from the CSA), sliced into ribbons (about 1/2")
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbs white wine, chicken stock or water (I used wine)
• 1 oz grated parmesan

Procedure:

1. Cook pasta until al dente, drain and reserve.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat a 10" skillet over medium heat, add 1/2 tsp olive oil. 
3. Add proscuitto, saute until slightly browned and crisp.  Remove from pan and reserve.
4. Melt butter and remaining 1/2 tsp oil over medium heat
5. Add minced shallot, sprinkle w/ salt and pepper saute until tender ( 5-10 min)
6. Add liquid (stock, water  or wine) lettuce and peas,  cook until lettuce is wilted and peas are bright green, about 5 min.
7. Add cooked pasta and 3/4 oz of parmesan to pan, stir and toss to mix together
8. Put in bowl, garnish w/ remaining parmesan and the proscuitto.

Some pics!

Your mise:

crisped proscuitto:

Add the lettuce

Plated up!

Also, Black Lives Matter.  Educate  yourselves.  Be part of the solution.