Linguine With Pancetta And Chard Recipes

CREAMY SWISS CHARD PASTA WITH LEEKS, TARRAGON AND LEMON ZEST

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the chard: Tear the leaves off the stems, separating the leaves and stems. Thinly slice the stems, then coarsely tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Set both aside in separate bowls.
• Prepare the leeks: Trim off the bottom and the dark green portion at the top, halve the remaining white and pale green portion lengthwise, then thinly slice them crosswise. Wash and drain the sliced leeks. Set aside.
• Prepare the bread crumbs: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium. Add the panko, season lightly with salt and generously with pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in nutritional yeast, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and melt over medium-high. Add the leeks, chard stems, garlic and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks start to wilt and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the torn chard, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until just wilted, 2 minutes.
• Add the stock and heavy cream, and boil over high until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Once the mixture is simmering, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta.
• Transfer chard mixture to the empty pasta pot. Stir in the cooked pasta, then sprinkle with the Parmesan, stirring vigorously to melt it into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide among shallow bowls or plates. Sprinkle generously with the prepared bread crumbs, top with tarragon and grate fresh lemon zest on top. Serve immediately.

PASTA WITH SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• In a large skillet heat the oil and stir in the onion. Cook for 2 minutes and stir in the garlic. Add the chopped Swiss chard and toss to coat. Pour in the wine or stock and stir to coat. When the chard begins to wilt, stir in the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and pine nuts. Bring to a simmer and stir in the reserved pasta cooking water. Remember: Do Not over cook the chard. It is ready to serve just after it has wilted. Immediately add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

LINGUINE WITH GARLIC OIL AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. While it's heating up, put the garlic olive oil in an ovenproof dish; I use an enamel Le Creuset one, measuring 12 by 8-inches. Remove the rind from pancetta and put it in the dish (to render down: you want as much bacony juices as possible), then dice the rest of the pancetta and add these cubes to the oil, smooshing them about with your fingers to make sure they're equally, if lightly, coated. When the water's boiling, put the dish of garlic-oiled pancetta in the oven, then salt the boiling water and add the linguine; these should need about 10 minutes to cook. When the pasta's ready, drain it, reserving a scant cupful of the cooking water and take the pancetta dish out of the oven. Tip the drained linguine into the dish and toss well, adding some of the pasta, cooking water, drop by cautious drop, for lubrication as you need it.
• And that's it: I like this without Parmesan, but a sprinkling of roughly scissored parsley, should you feel inclined, is always a good idea.

LINGUINE WITH PANCETTA AND SAUTEED CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cook linguine in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup liquid. Return pasta to pot.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Add pancetta and crushed red pepper; sauté until pancetta is crisp, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes; sauté until soft, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer tomato mixture to pot with pasta. Add 3/4 cup cheese and 1/3 cup basil. Toss over medium heat until cheese melts and sauce coats pasta, adding cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with basil. Serve remaining cheese alongside.