Penne with Goat Cheese and Ruby Chard

Chard and goat cheese always go well together. In this dish, the slightly bitter taste of the chard and the creamy goat cheese melting into make it a superb pasta sauce. The pine nuts add an essential crunch to the texture.

1 large bunch chard

2 large shallots, chopped

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt to taste

1-2 Tbs balsamic vinegar (or 2 tsp Red Wine vinegar)

5 oz creamy white goat cheese

¾ cup pine nuts

1 lb penne noodles

½ cup white wine

Preparation:

Wash the chard thoroughly, cut off and discard the thick stems, and chop the leaves and thin inner stems coarsely.

              Sauté the chopped shallots in the olive oil and butter until they are soft and beginning to color. Add the chard and toss it together with the onions until it wilts. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until the chard is tender. Toss the chard with a tiny bit of salt and the vinegar. Crumble the goat cheese and set aside. Lightly toast the pine nuts, stirring them in a small skillet over medium heat until they begin to turn golden and fill the air with fragrance.

              Boil the penne in several quarts of salted water until it is al dente. Just before its ready, bring the chard back to high heat and add the white wine. Drain the pasta. Add the crumbled cheese to the hot chard mixture, along with the pasta, and mix it all together well. Serve at once on warmed plates, and sprinkle each serving with pine nuts.

Source: The New Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas

Sweet!