30 minutes
A delightful pasta dish with Swiss chard, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and crispy breadcrumbs.
Small White Onion, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
each
Garlic Clove, smashed and peeled
each
Swiss Chard, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
0 lb
to taste
Unsalted Butter, cut into 4 pieces
tablespoons
to taste
tablespoons
Pennette
0 lb
Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
cups
Coarse Fresh Bread Crumbs, fried in olive oil until golden brown
cups
1. Sauté Onion and Garlic
Start by heating the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced white onion and smashed garlic cloves, letting them sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
2. Cook Swiss Chard
Once the onion and garlic are fragrant and tender, add the Swiss chard to the pot. Sprinkle in a pinch of Maldon sea salt and pour in ¼ cup of water. Cover the pot and let the chard steam for about 20 minutes until it's very tender.
3. Finish Ragu
When the Swiss chard is perfectly soft, stir in the pieces of butter and season generously with coarsely ground black pepper. Immediately remove the pot from the heat to prevent overcooking.
4. Cook Pennette
Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil in another large pot. Add 3 tablespoons of kosher salt to the boiling water, then add the pennette. Cook the pasta until it's al dente, as per the package instructions. Before draining the pasta, reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water.
5. Combine Pasta and Ragu
Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the pot with the Swiss chard ragu. Pour in about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to help the sauce coat the pasta evenly. Stir in ¾ cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, allowing the cheese to melt and add depth to the dish.
6. Serve
Transfer the pasta and ragu to a serving bowl and generously sprinkle the fried bread crumbs on top. Serve the dish with extra grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.
Source the freshest Swiss chard you can find, and for Parmigiano-Reggiano, choose the real deal from Italy with the DOP label.
Reserve some pasta water before draining the pennette to create a silky sauce that adheres well to the pasta.
Cook the pennette until al dente, as it will continue to cook slightly when tossed with the sauce.
Remove the pan from heat before adding Parmigiano to prevent clumping and ensure smooth melting.
Toast breadcrumbs in a mixture of butter and olive oil for crispness, and season with salt and optional minced garlic or dried herbs.
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