There’s a reason that the tag line to my blog is “The people I meet, the pasta we eat.” I love meeting new people! I love pasta! And, I definitely love bringing the two together. Sometimes I do the cooking, sometimes they do the cooking and sometimes we cook together. But no matter what, there’s always lots of fun and good food involved, and I always seem to learn something new.
Case in point: Kasey Passen. This amazing young chef/caterer/cooking teacher from Chicago has come up with combinations that I wouldn’t have imagined. Her Pasta with Tuna and Roasted Turnips is a great example. Now that it is spring, she suggests we substitute radishes for the turnips. See what I mean? I would have never thought of roasting radishes.
Since we have just introduced BonaChia™ Pasta, our latest thing is coming up with new ideas for the vegans of the world. In fact, the last time Kasey visited, she whipped up this dish using swiss chard, shallots, garlic and toasted nuts. We actually captured a bit of the fun on video.
Kasey’s Pasta with Swiss Chard
- 1 bag Al Dente BonaChia™ Pasta
- 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 bunches of swiss chard: remove leaves and slice the stalks.
- 1 onion or shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/2 cup toasted pinenuts or walnuts
- Saute onion or shallot and swiss chard stalks in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add leaves of chard and garlic, sauteeing until wilted.
- In the meantime, bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Ladle out ½ cup of pasta water into veggies.
- Cook pasta for 3 minutes. Before draining, ladle a little more water into veggies.
- Drain Pasta and toss all together in the skillet.
- Garnish with nuts.
- Salt and Pepper
- (optional: Parmesan, goat cheese, bacon)
Next week I will be heading to Chicago to work on more recipes with Kasey and Kristen so stay posted.
And, if you live in Ann Arbor, I will be teaching a cooking class on April 24th at Whole Foods. Join me if you can.