Swiss Chard Pesto With Almonds And Pecorino Recipes

SWISS-CHARD AND ALMOND PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes; when cool enough to handle, chop and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 1/4 cups pasta water; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large straight-sided skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes over medium until garlic is just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and stems in a few batches and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, 4 to 6 minutes. Add almonds, lemon zest and juice, and reserved pasta water. Add cooked pasta and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; toss to coat. Stir in pecorino; season with salt and black pepper. Serve with more cheese.

CHARD AND BASIL PESTO WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Toast almonds until fragrant in a 300 degree oven about 5 minutes.
• Snip stems off chard and basil. Peel garlic and grate Romano Cheese.
• Pulse almonds in a food processor until chopped. Add chard, basil, cheese, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and crushed red pepper. Pulse until fine.
• While food processor is running pour olive oil in a thin stream until it is a thick paste.
• Serve fresh or freeze in Ziploc bags. Makes 1 cup.

SWISS CHARD AND PECAN PESTO

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the Swiss chard and garlic in the hot oil until the chard leaves have wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Process the basil, pecans, sea salt, Parmesan cheese, and remaining olive oil in a food processor until all the ingredients are well integrated. Add the Swiss chard mixture and the lemon juice to the food processor; continue chopping until the mixture is pureed. Season with salt and pepper.