Spring has sprung! Time to bring on substantial salads and simple dishes that let seasonal ingredients shine. (I think it’s safe to say that my soup kick is over.)
When all you want to do is escape the kitchen and venture outside, prepare lemony pasta with rainbow chard and Parmesan cheese. It comes together in a snap and cooks in one pot, so clean-up is a breeze.
While the mélange is delicious as is, you can add on fried eggs (runny yolks + pasta … count me in!) or your favorite source of protein for a more robust meal. How would you serve lemony pasta with rainbow chard and Parmesan cheese: plain or with toppings?
Recipe adapted from The Little Ferraro Kitchen.
Lemony Pasta with Rainbow Chard and Parmesan Cheese
Makes 3-4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces shells or other short pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 pound rainbow chard, stalks diced and leaves roughly chopped
- kosher salt, to taste
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- fried eggs (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and transfer to a large bowl.
- In the same pot used to cook the pasta, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add chard stalks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2-3 minutes.
- Add chard leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Add cooked pasta, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and fried eggs, if using.
