Orecchiette with Pesto, Swiss Chard and Peas
One summer when I was younger, my parents and I took a summer holiday in the south of Italy, in Puglia. We had a long plane ride over and the Italian airport was anything but efficient. It was overwhelmingly hot out and although we were happy for this weather, we were tired, grumpy and dreaming about going for a swim. We managed to make it to the house we had rented where the owner had left us a huge bowl of homemade pasta with fresh pesto. I remember that pasta tasting indescribably good, and eating it on the outdoor patio in the warm breeze is one of my favourite memories from that trip. It was the moment we could finally relax and let go of the stresses from the day and from home. And while I’m sure most of us don’t have the time to make pasta from scratch, this recipe is almost as good; an attempt to recreate that happy, carefree dinner.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 box orecchiette
1 bunch swiss chard, red or green
1 tbsp oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup pesto – my recipe can be found here: http://the-countertop.com/?p=38
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp water
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice
1. Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain and pour into a large serving bowl
2. In a small frying pan, heat the oil then add the garlic.
3. While the garlic is cooking, cut the stems out of the chard and roughly chop it. Add to the pan and saute until wilted.
4. Place peas and water into a bowl and cover with paper towel. Microwave for about 2 minutes or until softened and cooked through.
5. Prepare or defrost your pesto (you can use store-bought as well) and pour over the pasta
6. Add the chard and peas. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. You can serve this dish right away or chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Enjoy!
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