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Fall in One Dish: Butternut Squash, Pancetta and Chard Pasta
swiss chard
Swiss Chard Tacos
Tomorrow isn’t Tuesday and meatless meals don’t thrill me like those made with serious proteins, favorites like salmon, poultry, lamb or pork. That said, I have a few delightful vegetarian items I make on occasion. This recipe is at the top of my roster, these Swiss chard tacos. My sister made these once while I was up visiting her. I was skeptical but found them to be really delicious and a great way to use up a lot of the Swiss chard growing profusely in my gardens! No meat but you won’t miss it in these flavorful and filling tacos.
I sometimes use Mexican cheese but you can also use Monterey Jack as that is what the original recipe called for and what I currently prefer. The recipe is out of an old Home and Garden magazine. I made a few changes….added some ground cumin for extra spice. Don’t forget the red wine vinegar, really a great finishing touch.
The white corn tortillas in these pictures (La Bandarita brand) came from Wegmans; they have one up near Boston. There are three Wegman’s here near me. I got some light corn tortillas today at my local Giant; they work well. Enjoy!
Sorry for the messy picture. I guess I should make a prettier taco!
Karen’s Swiss Chard Tacos
1 lb Swiss chard
½ tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp. ground cumin
½ a red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 can of black beans, rinsed and well drained
8 tortillas; corn flour
1 cup of Monterey jack cheese or Queso Fresca cheese; grated
1/3 cup sour cream, reduced fat is my preference
cilantro for garnish if desired
Directions:
Chop up the chard stems into half inch dice. Rough chop the rest of the chard and set aside. Heat a large frying pan and add the cumin seeds; cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add olive oil then chard stems. Cook 3 minutes until softening. Add the chard leaves that you have rough chopped, ground cumin, onion, garlic and red pepper. Cook 3 min, stirring. Add the red wine vinegar and the black beans. Stir well, cook 3-4 minutes longer. The greens should be wilted but they don’t need to be fully cooked down.
Meanwhile while the filling cooks; heat oven to 350 degrees. Lay tortillas out on baking sheets. Sprinkle grated cheese in the center of each. Bake 4-5 minutes until cheese starts melting and tortilla is somewhat crisp. Remove from oven. Place a generous amount of chard mixture on each tortilla. Top with a spoonful of sour cream. Sprinkle cilantro over top if desired. I am not a fan but you might be…
Butternut Squash, Pancetta and Chard Pasta
This colorful pasta dish is pretty healthy and very tasty. Not too tricky either. I have enjoyed it many times in the years. It makes 4 satisfying servings.
It showcases roasted cubes of butternut squash and tender melt-in-your-mouth Swiss chard. My amounts are somewhat approximate. I used gf fettuccine noodles. Don’t overcook them! You could buy pre-peeled and cubed squash to save time. I used some I grew this fall and honestly it didn’t take long to peel and cube it. I suggest you roast the cubes from a whole squash and use as much as you think works for you. Valley Farms has great fresh Swiss chard; that’s where I get mine if I don’t grow it myself. I have made this recipe with thick cut bacon, if that is what you have; go for it. I got a package of chopped pancetta at Giant for a decent price. It will keep a few days in the fridge.
Butternut, Pancetta and Chard Pasta
Ingredients:
1 bunch Swiss chard, I like the red or white stemmed variety, rinsed off
3-4 tbsp. EVOL
1 cup or so of diced red onion; one decent sized one
1 lg garlic clove minced
1 medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cubed; at least a pound in weight
4 oz pancetta, diced
10-12 oz dried gf fettucine noodles.
Good quality Parmesan cheese to grate on plated entree
Directions:
Roast the squash; heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; spread the cubed squash, drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp of EVOL and ½ tsp. kosher or sea salt, bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes; turn cubes every 20 minutes with a metal spatula to help them cook evenly, a bit of crunch is nice! Start the rest of the recipe as they approach doneness or bake the squash a day before if that works for you. Have done it both ways. Crunchier if made right before serving
Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta while you make the chard. Chop it into 1 inch lengths; set the chopped leaves aside separately from the lower stem bits. Heat the EVOL in a large frying pan or smallish wok. Add the stems and cook 2-3 minutes, add garlic, stir, add the onion; cook 3-5 minutes until softening. Add rest of chard in 2-3 handfuls letting it cook down for a minute before stirring and adding the next third. Then push the veggies up the sides or to the edges and add the pancetta. Push the veggies gently back around and over the pancetta. Cook 2-3 minutes until the pancetta is hot and the chard is soft. Meanwhile you have cooked the pasta to al dente. Add it to the pan with the chard, stir, add the roasted squash cubes. Stir. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top; none of that pre-grated crappy cheese please! Enjoy!
Not sure where I found this recipe, but it is a keeper; we generally enjoy it in the fall as chard and squash are fall harvest vegetables.
Swiss Chard Tacos
Tomorrow is Tuesday; taco Tuesday to be exact! Meatless meals don’t thrill me like those made with serious proteins, favorites like salmon, poultry, lamb or pork. That said, I have a few delightful vegetarian items I make on occasion. Time to add another to my roster; these Swiss chard tacos. My sister made these while I was up visiting her. I was skeptical but found them to be really delicious and a great way to use up a lot of the Swiss chard growing profusely in my gardens! No meat but you won’t miss it in these flavorful and filling tacos.
I sometimes use Mexican cheese but you can also use Monterey Jack as that is what the original recipe called for and what I currently prefer. The recipe is out of an old Home and Garden magazine. I made a few changes….added some ground cumin for extra spice. Don’t forget the red wine vinegar, really a great finishing touch.
The white corn tortillas in these pictures (La Bandarita brand) came from Wegmans; they have one up near Boston. There are three Wegman’s here near me. I got some light corn tortillas today at my local Giant; they work well. Enjoy!
Sorry for the messy picture. I guess I should make a prettier taco!
Karen’s Swiss Chard Tacos
1 lb Swiss chard
½ tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp. ground cumin
½ a red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 can of black beans, rinsed and well drained
8 tortillas; corn flour
1 cup of Monterey jack cheese or Queso Fresca cheese; grated
1/3 cup sour cream, reduced fat is my preference
cilantro for garnish if desired
Directions:
Chop up the chard stems into half inch dice. Rough chop the rest of the chard and set aside. Heat a large frying pan and add the cumin seeds; cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add olive oil then chard stems. Cook 3 minutes until softening. Add the chard leaves that you have rough chopped, ground cumin, onion, garlic and red pepper. Cook 3 min, stirring. Add the red wine vinegar and the black beans. Stir well, cook 3-4 minutes longer. The greens should be wilted but they don’t need to be fully cooked down.
Meanwhile while the filling cooks; heat oven to 350 degrees. Lay tortillas out on baking sheets. Sprinkle grated cheese in the center of each. Bake 4-5 minutes until cheese starts melting and tortilla is somewhat crisp. Remove from oven. Place a generous amount of chard mixture on each tortilla. Top with a spoonful of sour cream. Sprinkle cilantro over top if desired. I am not a fan but you might be…
Squash, Pancetta and Chard Pasta
This colorful pasta dish is pretty healthy and very tasty. Not too tricky either. Have enjoyed it many times in the past 5-7 years. I actually thought it was on my blog; not so. Hence this post. I made it this week and it made 4 lovely servings.
It showcases roasted cubes of butternut squash and tender melt in your mouth swiss chard. My amounts are somewhat approximate. It will keep a few days in the fridge. I used gf fettuccine noodles. Don’t overcook them! You could buy pre-peeled and cubed squash to save time. I used some I grew last fall and honestly it didn’t take long to peel and cube it. I suggest you roast the cubes from a whole squash and use as much as you think works for you. Valley Farms has great fresh swiss chard; that’s where I get mine if I don’t grow it myself. I have made this recipe with thick cut bacon, if that is what you have; go for it. I got a package of chopped pancetta at Aldi’s pretty cheaply.
Butternut, Pancetta and Chard Pasta
Ingredients:
1 bunch swiss chard, I like the red stemmed variety, rinsed off
3-4 tbsp. EVOL
1 cup or so of diced red onion; one decent sized one
1 lg garlic clove minced
1 small- medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cubed; at least a pound
4 oz pancetta, diced
12 oz dried gf fettucine noodles.
Good quality Parmesan cheese to grate on plated entree
Directions:
Roast the squash; heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; spread the cubed squash, drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp of EVOL and ½ tsp. kosher or sea salt, bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes; turn cubes every 15 minutes with a metal spatula to help them cook evenly, a bit of crunch is nice! Start the rest of the recipe as they approach doneness or bake the squash a day before if that works for you. Have done it both ways. Crunchier if made right before serving
Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta while you make the chard. Chop it into 1 inch lengths; set the chopped leaves aside separately from the lower stem bits. Heat the EVOL in a large frying pan or smallish wok. Add the stems and cook 2-3 minutes, add garlic, stir, add the onion; cook 3-5 minutes until softening. Add rest of chard in 2-3 handfuls letting it cook down for a minute before stirring and adding the next third. Then push the veggies up the sides or to the edges and add the pancetta. Push the veggies gently back around and over the pancetta. Cook 2-3 minutes until the pancetta is hot and the chard is soft. Meanwhile you have cooked the pasta to al dente. Add it to the pan with the chard, stir, add the roasted squash cubes. Stir. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top; none of that pre-grated crappy cheese please! Enjoy!
Not sure where I found this recipe but it is a keeper; we often enjoy it in the fall as chard and squash are fall harvest vegetables.
My World Without Wheat 