Orecchiette With Swiss Chard, Red Peppers and Goat Cheese

Some of you have asked why I blanch greens before using them in dishes. I find it’s the most efficient way to wilt them quickly and evenly, and they aren’t boiled so long — just a minute or two — that the nutrients are depleted. But lately I’ve also been steaming chard, and I find this works well, too. I use the basket of my pasta pot, placing it above an inch of water in the pot. When making this easy pasta, be sure to cut the sweet bell peppers into very small dice; that way, they’ll lodge in the hollows of the orecchiette, along with the chard and goat cheese.

Ingredients

• ¾ pound Swiss chard 1 bunch, stemmed and washed in two changes of water
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 red bell peppers, cut in small dice
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves to taste, minced
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram
• ¾ pound orecchiette
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled 1/2 cup

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    412 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 6 milligrams cholesterol; 253 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
  Powered by DiningAndCooking.com

Serves four

Preparation

1. Begin heating a large pot of water while you stem and wash the chard. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard. Blanch the chard leaves for one to two minutes until tender. Using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer the chard to a bowl of ice water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine. Keep the pot of water at a simmer.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the bell peppers and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until tender, five to eight minutes. Add the garlic and salt to taste, and stir for half a minute. Then stir in the chopped chard and the marjoram. Stir together for a few seconds, then turn the heat to very low.
3. Bring the water in the pasta pot back to a boil, and add the orecchiette. Cook al dente, following the timing instructions on the package. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the chard and peppers. Stir in the goat cheese. Drain the pasta, transfer to the pan and toss with the chard, pepper and goat cheese mixture. Serve hot.

• Advance preparation: You can make this through Step 2 several hours before cooking the pasta. The pepper and chard mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days and reheated.

20 minutes