We like the taste of Swiss chard but were surprised at how well it worked with the pasta. And the look - a really beautiful dish on the table. Adapted from the "The New Cook's Tour of Sonoma" as reported in the San Jose Mercury News. (Updated 2016)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves:
6
A. | green Swiss chard | 1 pound | |
penne pasta | 1 pound | ||
Bring 2 quarts of well salted water to a boil. Wash and dry chard. Hold a chard leaf upside down by the end of its stem. Run a sharp knife quickly along each edge of the white stalk to separate the greens. Repeat with each chard leaf. Slice the white stalks across the grain into 1/4 inch long pieces - little strips really. Gather all the green leaves together. Roll them up like a cigar. Slice the rolled up leaves into 1/2 inch pieces. Now chop once or twice along the length of the pile of leaves. Keep them separate and set aside. Add the pasta to the water. |
B. | coarse mustard | 2 tablespoons | Use the kind with whole or broken mustard seeds in it. Dijon from crushed seeds works well. |
red wine vinegar | 1 tablespoon | ||
In a bowl combine mustard and vinegar, just stir it up a bit. Set it aside. |
C. | olive oil | 3 tablespoons | |
garlic | 3 cloves | Peeled and crushed. Do not mince, it will burn. | |
dried red pepper flakes | 1 teaspoon | ||
In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil over a hot stove until the oil shimmers. Before the oil smokes add the garlic and pepper. Stirring constantly, sauté until the garlic is a golden brown. Be careful to not burn the garlic. Add the white chard stems and cook 3 minutes. Add the chard leaves, cover and cook until wilted and tender; about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and salt to taste. Do not drain. |
D. | Romano cheese | 4 ounces | Grated - not shredded |
pecans | 1 cup | Chopped coarsely | |
prosciutto | 4 ounces | Optional | |
Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl. Add the mustard mixture and toss the pasta; coat it well. Add the chard mixture and the pecans. Add prosciutto, if using it. Toss to distribute the chard well. Add the cheese and toss again. Serve immediately. |