Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 bunch Swiss chard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 shallots or 1/2 yellow onion - thinly sliced
Kosher salt; freshly ground pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1 pound rigatoni or other tube-shaped pasta
2 cups basil leaves, lightly packed
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano, plus more for serving
1 lemon
1 cup fresh ricotta, divided, for serving
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Directions: |
Directions:Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
Cut the chard leaves from the stems, then cut or tear leaves into 2-inch pieces. Thinly slice the chard stems crosswise.
Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the chard stems, garlic, and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with crushed pepper, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook until vegetables are extremely soft and starting to caramelize, 12-14 minutes (check and stir every few minutes).
In the meantime, wash and drain the chard leaves. When the water reaches a boil, cook greens until they are bright green and tender, about 30 seconds. Transfer them directly to the garlic-shallot mixture and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside. Bring the water back to a boil.
Add the pasta to the water and cook until very al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than package instructions. Transfer the Swiss chard mixture to a food processor; add the basil and Parm. Finely grate the lemon directly into the processor bowl. Pulse until the pesto is roughly chopped. Taste and adjust seasoning. Return the pesto to the same Dutch oven.
Scoop out 1 cup pasta water and pour it into the pesto, stir to loosen. Drain pasta and add to pesto. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze in the juice. Cook the pasta over low heat, tossing energetically and adding more pasta water as needed, until the pesto is coating the spaghetti in a silky and saucy way.
Serve pasta topped with a big spoonful of ricotta, flaky salt, and a generous sprinkle of fried shallots. Pass Parm and crushed pepper at the table. |
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