Corzetti pasta with swiss chard pesto is a delicious alternative to traditional basil pesto. Hearty and bright, this veg-heavy pasta sauce will became a favorite for any pesto lover when the winter chill blows in.
An irresistible combination of green chards, creamy pine nuts and salty cheeses, this cold-weather pesto is flavor-packed and works beautifully with corzetti. An unexpectedly delicious recipe, this pasta dish is a simple way to get kids to eat their veggies.
Corzetti Pasta with Swiss Chard Pesto
- 2 cups Swiss chard leaves
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 3/4 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
- 3/4 extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Start by blanching the chard leaves. Place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. When the water starts simmering, add the chard leaves, making sure they are completely submerged in water. Simmer the leaves for 60 seconds, then remove them from the water using tongs and immediately place them in a bowl filled with cold water and ice. Submerged the leaves for about 30 seconds, then drain and place on paper towels to dry.
In a food processor, pulse the blanched chard leaves, pine nuts, cheeses and extra virgin olive oil together until smooth. Add salt to taste.
Now that your swiss chard pesto is ready, prepare the corzetti pasta using your favorite recipe. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain reserving some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the Swiss chard pesto and add some pasta cooking liquid to make it creamy. Serve immediately.