Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese

By Valarie

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

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

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.

Serves: 4; Calories: 377; Total Fat: 10.5 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 14 grams; Total carbohydrates: 60 grams; Sugar: 9 grams; Fiber: 11 grams; Cholesterol: 4 milligrams; Sodium:474 milligrams

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.