Swiss Chards and Almond Pasta

Photo: by Chris Simpson

As I continue to harvest the different vegetables from the Market Garden, my recipe exploration continues. Swiss Chards and Almond Pasta is the latest recipe I tried out. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the finished creation so I’m using the photograph supplied by Chris Simpson. The only difference between it and my creation is that I did not use rainbow-colored Swiss Chards and my almonds were slivers not chopped.

So, with that disclaimer here is the newest recipe that relates to the produce that we grow in Posh Market Garden. Prep and total time for this delightful recipe is about 35 minutes and it serves four people.

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw almonds (I used slivered almonds to cut down on chop time)

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 12 ounces spaghetti

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

• 1-pound Swiss chard (from 2 bunches), stems thinly sliced, leaves cut into 2-inch pieces

• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving (I used grated parmesan)

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes; when cool enough to handle, chop and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 1/4 cups pasta water; drain.

2.    Meanwhile, in a large straight-sided skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes over medium until garlic is just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and stems in a few batches and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, 4 to 6 minutes. Add almonds, lemon zest and juice, and reserved pasta water. Add cooked pasta and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; toss to coat. Stir in pecorino (or parmesan cheese), season with salt and black pepper. Pay attention to the time because if the Chards are in too long, they lose their beautiful brilliant green color! Serve with more cheese.

This recipe proved to be super easy and very flavorful, and I highly recommend it! My only regret is I sauteed the Swiss Chards too long and their color changed to a dull green, which took away from the visual beauty of the dish but not the flavor!

Bon Appetit!