I can’t believe April is here! Tomorrow, I’ll be busy in the kitchen, whipping up two vegan dishes – macaroni and cheese and apple crisp – for an Easter family get-together. It’ll be my first time attempting the recipes, so hopefully they turn out OK.
If we weren’t entertaining guests with food allergies, there’s a good chance I’d be making this pasta with rainbow chard and bacon (and some type of dessert with butter and eggs) to bring to the table. It’s a no-fuss, festive and flavorful side to just about anything – ham, grilled shrimp, you name it!
And the ingredients can easily be modified based on your mood or what’s in season. For an Asian twist, sub in gai lan – aka Chinese broccoli – and edamame for the rainbow chard and peas. Or, for a Southern flair, use collard greens and black-eyed beans. The possibilities are endless.
Recipe adapted from Two Lucky Spoons.
- 8 ounces creste di gallo or other short pasta
- 4 ounces bacon, diced
- 1 tablespoon black truffle butter (see notes)
- 1 pound rainbow chard, stalks diced and leaves roughly chopped
- 5 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup diced orange bell pepper
- ½ cup frozen roasted corn
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
- 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, cook bacon on medium heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from pot and set aside on paper towels to drain.
- Add butter to pot and melt over medium heat. Add chard stalks, green onions and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3-4 minutes.
- Add chard leaves, corn and peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is just barely wilted and corn and peas are heated through, about 3 minutes.
- Add cooked pasta and bacon and Pecorino Romano cheese and toss gently to combine. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Top with additional Pecorino Romano cheese.
