Poor chard. Everyone is all about kale right now. I get the hype, but sometimes we need to pay our respects to the classical beauty that is...chard.
Yep, this green darling is absolutely magical sauteed. Plus, it comes in so many beautiful forms. Red chard, swiss chard, rainbow chard!? When sauteed, this leafy gal transforms into a silky and deliciate green that's perfect for eating alone, or blending into a sauce.
A silky chard sauce saturates shell pasta studded with sliced, hearty porcini mushrooms and tender sweet peas.
Creamy Chard Pasta with Porcinis and Peas
Serves 6
- 8 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted
- 16 oz. dry pasta shells
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (6 oz.)
- Saute:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 large brown onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large bunch of chard, de-stemmed and chopped
- Sauce:
- 12 oz. silken firm tofu (Mori-Nu)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- splash of lemon juice
- dash of black pepper
- dash of salt
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of sugar
Directions:
Start by reconstituting the porcinis. Place the in a bowl and submerge completely with boiling water. Allow to rest until ready to use or about 20-30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
In a large rimmed frying pan, heat oil over medium-low. Add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add the chard and saute 5-8 minutes, until quite wilted.
In a blender, combine all the sauce ingredients and add the sauteed chard mixture. Blend on high until very creamy and smooth.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain.
Transfer the sauce back to the frying pan along with the peas. Remove the mushrooms from their water with a slotted spoon and slice. Add to the sauce and heat over low until the pasta is ready.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir well to coat.
Serve hot.
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German Word of The Day:
Chard --> Mangold (pronounced: mangold)
Good Deed of The Day:
[yumprint-recipe id='120']
