Pasta With Sausage and Swiss Chard
Ingredients
12-16 ounces uncooked pasta (fresh rigatoni from LoRe Pasta recommended)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound bulk (loose) Italian sausage (try the Griggstown rabe or sundried tomato chicken sausage and simply remove the casings)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard chopped, ends trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 + 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for cooking and finishing)
1/2 cup pine nuts, chopped walnuts, or sunflower seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound bulk (loose) Italian sausage (try the Griggstown rabe or sundried tomato chicken sausage and simply remove the casings)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard chopped, ends trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 + 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for cooking and finishing)
1/2 cup pine nuts, chopped walnuts, or sunflower seeds, toasted
Directions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook sausage and red onion until sausage is no longer pink, 3-4 minutes, breaking sausage into crumbles. Add fennel, mushrooms and garlic; cook until tender, 6-8 minutes. Add Swiss chard; cook and stir until wilted, 4-5 minutes longer. Tip: add the stems first; allow to cook a minute or two before adding leaves.
- Cook and drain pasta according to package directions (you want a bit of bite/al dente), reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. In a large bowl (or directly in your skillet), combine pasta, sausage/vegetable mixture, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, adding enough reserved pasta water to coat pasta and create a creamy texture. Serve with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and toasted nuts/seeds.
