This simple pasta dish is a great way to enjoy the beautiful rainbow chard we have right now. Use a bunch of chard or half a bag of Jericho Settlers' toddler chard.
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 bunch chard
2 -3 thinly sliced stems of green garlic
1/4 cup raisins
salt and red chili flakes, to taste
1 cup cooked beans or 1/2 pound Italian sausage, few slices of pancetta or bacon, whichever you prefer
1/2 pint Little Guys, roughly chopped
1/3 cup chopped cauliflower pickles or Giardiniera
1/3 cup cream or half and half
pasta cooking water
grated gouda, mozzarella, or cheddar, to taste
Tear the chard leaves from their stems and chop the stems into small pieces.
Warm the oil in a big pot and add the green garlic, chard stems, and raisins. Season with plenty of salt and red chili flakes, and cook gently until fragrant.
If using sausage, bacon, or pancetta, add that and cook thoroughly.
Put on a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
Chop the chard leaves and set aside.
If not using the meat, add the cannellini beans and tomatoes and cook for a minute or two.
Add the chopped chard leaves, stirring to make sure they don't clump together, then add the cauliflower pickles.
When the pasta is almost cooked and the chard has wilted down, add 1/2 cup of cream or half and half and 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water and let it come to a simmer.
Reserve a little more of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and add to the pan and mix gently. Add more pasta water if needed, until every noodle has a silky coating of sauce.
Test for seasoning, and add some grated gouda, mozzarella or cheddar to serve.
