Pasta With Braised Fennel Chard And Balsamic Vinegar Recipes

PASTA WITH BRAISED FENNEL, CHARD, AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat in large skillet.
• Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté (uncovered) over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in sliced fennel bulb and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add 3/4 cup water and bring to simmer.
• Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat until fennel is tender and liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in vinegar, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 1 minute longer.
• Add crushed red pepper flakes and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
• Add 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and pasta; return to boil.
• After 3 minutes, add chard and return to rapid boil; continue to cook, covered, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.
• Drain pasta and greens, reserving 1/3 cup pasta cooking water.
• Toss pasta and greens with fennel mixture, cheese, and two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, adding reserved pasta water as needed if mixture is dry.
• Transfer portions to warm pasta bowls.
• Garnish with reserved minced fennel fronds.
• Serve immediately with more cheese passed separately.

BRAISED SPRING ONIONS, FENNEL AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Toss in the smashed garlic and crushed red pepper and bring the pan to a medium heat. When the garlic becomes golden brown and very aromatic, remove it from the pan and discard it. It has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the onions, fennel and Swiss chard stems, stir to coat with the oil and season with salt, to taste. Stir in the white wine and the lemon zest and juice. Cover and cook over medium heat until the veggies have become soft and wilted but still maintain some texture, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until most of the liquid has reduced, another 3 to 4 minutes. Toss in the Swiss chard leaves, stir to combine and season with salt, to taste. When the leaves have wilted but still look vibrantly green, taste for seasoning. Reseason if needed (it probably will). Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
• It's spring greens!

SWISS CHARD PASTA WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Add the hazelnuts to a small skillet over medium heat. Toast them slowly, shaking the pan often, until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove them from the skillet, and when they are cool enough to handle, roughly chop the nuts.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain it, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add it to a large bowl.
• In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter begins to foam, add the garlic and use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture constantly until the butter begins to brown and have a slight nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Give the mixture a good stir, and then set it aside to infuse for about 5 minutes longer away from the heat.
• Pour the butter mixture (scraping the garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes) all over the warm pasta. If the pasta feels a bit dry, add a touch of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to combine and set aside.
• Set the same skillet (without cleaning it) over medium-high heat. Add the chard stems and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chard leaves and continue to cook, tossing the mixture every so often, until the greens begin to wilt and turn bright green, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add a touch more butter or oil to the pan if it dries out too much.
• Add the Swiss chard and hazelnuts to the pasta and toss it all together. Add the Parmesan shavings and the balsamic vinegar (if you're using it); toss. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Note
• Localize it: You can use kale instead of chard, and any nut will work in place of the hazelnuts. Fresh out of balsamic vinegar? Red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice will work.

SIMPLE SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until the chard is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.