Today’s recipe comes from marthstewart.com Everyday Food editor Sarah Carey. The original recipe calls for parsnips but I was afraid I may be allergic so I omitted it for this episode. It looked easy enough but of course, in true Mom who can’t cook fashion, I messed up. First with the pronunciation of “Orecchiette” and then with a couple steps. One thing I am excited about though is the fresh rainbow chard I was able to pull from Schoolyard Roots, a fantastic elementary school hands-on teaching garden. WATCH here.
PREPARATION: 20 min TOTAL: 30 min
INGREDIENTS:
TIP: When cutting the rainbow chard, stack several leaves on top of one another, lining them up from tip to stalk. From the top of the leaves, roll them down to the stalk and then cut from the edge to the center.
COOKING:
STEP 1: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water (this is the step I missed), then drain pasta and return to pot.
STEP 2: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned, (three minutes.)
STEP 3: With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to pasta pot. Add parsnips to skillet and sauté until softened and browned (original recipe), (five minutes).
STEP 4: Add chard to the skillet and cook until wilted, (two minutes). Transfer mixture to pot and toss.
STEP 5: Add Parmesan and enough pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta; season with salt and pepper. Serve with additional Parmesan.
HEALTH BENEFITS:
“Rainbow chard contains tons of vitamin A, which we know is good for our eyes, bones, and teeth, says Joslyn Randall, nutritionist. “In fact, in a 3 1/2 cups serving of chard, you get 133% of your daily vitamin A which helps fight infections and working greens into your diet is a great way to boost the immune system.”
