Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 bunches Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped (about 14 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large
frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add
the chard and saute until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until
fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, wine, and red pepper
flakes. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the
chard is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season the chard mixture, to
taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until
tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the
spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to the chard mixture and toss to combine.

Transfer the pasta to serving bowls. Sprinkle the olives, cheese, and pine nuts and
serve.

Recommended Wine: 2001 Clerico Trevigne

Origin: Alba, Piedmont
Grape: Barbera

Wine Notes: This wine is from the north in the Piedmont region of Italy. I
chose a Barbera because I needed a wine to to stand up to the bitterness of the swiss
chard and the strong taste of the pecorino cheese. This wine's texture is smooth and the
color is a dark ruby red. Its bouquet is scorched earth and blackberries with a kiss of
oak. The pasta's flavors do not fight with the taste of the wine but is an explosion of
flavor every time you take a bite of spaghetti or a sip of wine.

Wine Pouring Notes: Do not fill above the curve of the bowl, never more
than 1/2 full, that way you can get a true sense of the wine's aroma and a
better sense of its bouquet. To get the full experience of the wine, place
your nose into the glass and take in the wine's beautiful aroma.