60 minutes
Embrace the vibrant flavors of Italian cuisine with this exceptional pasta dish. Our Pasta with Swiss Chard, Basil and Roasted Garlic Pesto features pasta, perfectly paired with a robust, aromatic pesto. The incorporation of leafy Swiss chard and fragrant basil brings an exciting twist to your traditional pasta night.
0 oz
Swiss Chard, Rinsed, Stems removed, and chopped.
cups
head
Pine Nuts, Toasted
0 oz
cups
Parmesan Cheese, Fresh, Microplaned
cups
Pecorino, Fresh, Microplaned
cups
Black Pepper, Fresh Cracked
to taste
1. Roast the Garlic and Pine Nuts
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Cut the top off the head of garlic, drizzle a little olive oil over it, wrap it in foil, and roast it in the oven for about 40 minutes, until soft and golden. Spread the pine nuts on a baking tray and pop them into the oven for the last 5-10 minutes of the garlic's roasting time, just until they're golden. Mix the nuts around, half way through the cooking to ensure they toast evenly.
2. Blanch the Veg
While the garlic is roasting, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, adding about a tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Blanch the Swiss chard for two minutes, then immediately shock it in a bowl of ice water. Once it's cooled, drain and squeeze out as much water as possible.
3. Cook the Pasta
Reheat the Swiss chard blanching water and bring it back to a boil. Add the cavatappi pasta and cook for 30 seconds to one minute less than the package instructions suggest. Reusing this water will save you time and dishes.
4. Make the Pesto
Squeeze out three roasted garlic cloves from the whole head and add them to a food processor, along with the Swiss chard, toasted pine nuts, fresh basil, the Parmesan and Pecorino cheese, a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Pulse the ingredients a few times until you have an even, coarse paste. Next, with the food processor running, stream in the oil until you have a smooth pesto. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt as needed. Reserve the pesto until you're ready to finish the pasta.
5. Sauce the Pasta
Add the drained pasta to a pan with 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and continue to cook and stir. Once the water is about 80% reduced, remove the pan from the heat and add a small amount of the pesto, stirring vigorously to start the emulsion. Stir in the rest of the pesto and keep stirring to maintain the emulsion. Work quickly as this pesto can turn brown if held hot for too long.
6. Serve
Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt if needed. Plate and serve.
Use high-quality dry pasta, preferably artisanal and made with bronze dies, fresh vibrant Swiss chard with firm stems, and fresh, plump garlic cloves for the best flavors.
Cook pasta al dente in well-salted water and reserve some pasta water for adjusting pesto consistency.
Combine pasta with pesto over low heat, adding pasta water to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
Use a food processor or mortar and pestle for desired texture, and balance the Parmesan, pine nuts, and olive oil by tasting and adjusting.
Serve the pasta immediately while hot to enjoy the peak flavors.
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