Ginger Garlic Bok Choy Pasta

Opening Day at the Coventry Regional Farmers' Market yesterday featured loads of plants and seedlings, perfect for those of us getting started on our summer gardens. We picked up some morning glories to decorate our porch, some lavender to fragrance our bathroom, and some peas and cantaloupe to fill up our vegetable/fruit/berry garden (and, eventually, our bellies!). Soon we'll work on the front garden where we'll plant our herbs and, of course, a nice variety of tomatoes. We're getting there.

That said, there wasn't much by way of produce at the market yesterday. But we did find, and buy, some beautiful red baby bok choy that has become the focus for today's Meatless Monday recipe. We sauteed the bok choy with fresh ginger and garlic using tips and tricks we found at the blog Steamy Kitchen, then we tossed it with pasta for a quick, fresh, light, meatless meal fit for an early summer evening.

First, we carefully trimmed the stem of the bok choy, and separated and rinsed each tender leaf. Then we finely minced two cloves of garlic and grated about two teaspoons of fresh ginger. These we added to a tablespoon of canola oil inside a cold wok (below, left), so nothing would burn and taste bitter. A few red pepper flakes would give the dish some zing!

We heated the wok over medium heat and waited for the smell of garlic and ginger cooking (above, right). Then we added the bok choy leaves and quickly tossed them to coat them in the aromatic oil.

To lightly steam the leaves, we poured in three tablespoons of water, then covered the wok and allowed it to cook for a minute. We carefully tossed our cooked pasta (farfalle tonight) into the wok with the leaves and drizzled our "Ginger Garlic Bok Choy Pasta" with toasted sesame oil to finish it. What a flavorful dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound baby bok choy, trimmed and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 pound pasta
• kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Boil water for pasta and prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, pour the oil into a cold wok (or large skillet). Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to the wok, then turn the heat to medium. When the garlic and ginger become fragrant, stir in the bok choy leaves. Toss quickly but carefully so that all leaves are coated with the oil, about 20 seconds. Pour in the water, cover, and allow to cook for one minute. Toss cooked pasta into the wok, season with salt to taste, and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil.