Chard, Ricotta and Hazelnut Pasta Sauce

About a year or so ago now an ex emailed me to ask if I still had the recipe for a ricotta/chard pasta sauce we used to make. When I got her email I realized that it was one of those receipes that had completely fallen out of my kitchen repertoire, though I'm not certain why as I absolutely adore it. It was on of those recipes that is so much more than the sum of its parts, the ingredients all coming together in a creamy and decadent coating just perfect for al dente penne rigate or a nice thin fresh papardelle. I'm not usually a fan of creamy sauces, but this one manages to balance decadent with a light fresh taste and to not be too heavy in the belly.

I scoured my cookbooks to no avail, and even asked Lauren (whose cookbook collection I have often familiarized myself with) if she had it. Nothing turned up. After a particularly long day of weeding and trying to get on top of the back garden and veggie squares yesterday, I found myself with a whole heck of a lot of fresh swiss chard in need of harvesting and eating, and my determination to resurrect that recipe was renewed. I tried a search of the web, but mostly came up with ricotta filled pastas, until I happened upon Whipped and there it was (with some slight variations). And so I set to work washing chard, and made a double batch (we still have plenty of fresh and lovely chard in the yard if anyone in the neighbourhood is interested). I brought some of the very large batch over to our new neighbours  with a box of penne, some mineral water and a bottle of organic french wine. They just moved in this weekend, and we're so excited that someone has moved onto the block who doesn't plan to knock the house down and build a monster  house instead. (We're also excited because they seem like really awesome folks and they have what is certainly the coolest and biggest deck on the block and they seem keen to have company for deck parties).

So, after all those tangents here's the recipe for chard, ricotta and hazelnut pasta sauce. (This sauce makes great substitute for basil pesto in the winter months when basil is scarce and pricey, but it's also a perfect way to use up a bunch of spring chard).

Serves 4
1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks removed (about 4 cups chopped)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I use fresh grated nutmeg, so use a bit less)
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts (plus a bit more for finely chopped for on top)

Your favourite pasta shape, I like penne rigate as it clings to the ridges and gets stuck in the tubes. Yum.

Bring water to a boil. While water is getting hot, wash and rinse the swiss chard. Chop in shreds. Saute the garlic in the olive oil for a minute. Add the damp greens and stir until just wilted but still bright green. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. In a blender or food processor, puree with cooked greens with the ricotta until smooth. Add a few extra teaspoons of olive oil if needed to smooth out the sauce. Add more salt if needed to bring out the flavors of the greens.

Cook pasta according to directions for al dente (you don't want it too mushy with a creamy sauce). Toss drained pasta with the sauce. Serve with chopped roasted hazelnuts and plenty of fresh cracked pepper.

Comments

[Caroline]

I love it when new people find me so that I in turn find them! So glad you happened upon the recipe you were looking for!