Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
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- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Calories
- 377 calorie
- Total Fat
- 10.5 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 2 grams
- Cholesterol
- 4 milligrams
- Sodium
- 474 milligrams
- Carbohydrates
- 60 grams
- Dietary Fiber
- 11 grams
- Protein
- 14 grams
- Sugar
- 9 grams
- Total: 40 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 20 min
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.
Cook’s Note
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.