Chard Scallion & Red Pepper Pasta
Who doesn’t enjoy a good pasta dish that is packed with flavor and can be ready in 20 minutes or less? When we get bunches upon bunches in our CSA box, this is a dish I return to making again and again. It’s got smoky scallions and heat from the red pepper flakes and a slightly creamy sauce thanks to a little pasta water and pecorino (you can totally leave out the pecorino for a dairy free option).
What I appreciate most about this recipe is that with the fresh scallions—typically at their peak in spring and summer—this dish celebrates the deliciously mild yet slightly sweet onion flavor that scallions offer. It should be noted: a cast iron skillet is essential to getting the scallions to that charred deliciousness.
Chard Scallion & Red Pepper Pasta
By Frances Kellar, Cooking with Our CSA
Serves 2
Approximate Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 4 ounces dry spaghetti
- 1 bunch Sage Mountain Farm scallions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional to amp this up to 1/2 tsp for a little extra heat) * Sage Mountain Farm will be harvesting a large variety of peppers this summer! Make your own homemade Pepper flakes! Recipe coming soon!
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano (optional)
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
METHOD
In a large cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. In a separate large pot, bring water to a boil for your pasta.
Prep your scallions by first chopping up the green parts in 2 inch pieces then giving the white portion of the scallions of fine chop. Mince your garlic and set aside in a small prep bowl.
Once the oil is heated, add in the green parts of the scallions and season with a few pinches of kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Allow the scallions to soften, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes. Add in the minced white scallion parts and garlic and stir to combine. By now your pasta water should be boiling; add a generous pinch of kosher salt to season your pasta water then add in your spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, lower the heat on your skillet to allow the scallions to cook and slightly char around the edges. Once the pasta is ready, reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining your pasta and adding the pasta to the scallions. Add in your pasta water and stir to combine the pasta and scallions while allowing the pasta water to help create the sauce. If using grated pecorino, add that here. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt (or more cheese) before serving.
Give thanks and enjoy!
About Your Recipe Blogger
Frances is a food blogger and recipe developer focused on crafting nourishing meals that use up all the ingredients in her weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share box. She writes a weekly Sunday blog post called “Dinner Plans” highlighting easy and delicious meal ideas based on the ingredients of the week’s CSA box. Having grown up in Southern California, Frances first began shopping the local Fresno Farmer’s Markets when she lived in the Central Valley with her family in 2013 and quickly became an advocate for supporting small and local farms as she saw the explicit connection of farm-to-table dining. She has been a proud member of Sage Mountain Farm’s CSA since April 2020 with approximately 90% of the produce Frances uses to cook meals at home coming directly from her CSA box. You can find her on Instagram (@FrancesKellar) and on her website: Cooking with Our CSA. She lives in Pomona, CA with her husband, the owner and craftsman behind Pino Grande Woodworking, and their two adorable and very active children.
For more information about cooking with your CSA:
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Be sure to check out these other amazing resources:
CSA Cooking Class 1: Tips and Tricks of a CSA
Boundless Guide: How to Get the Most from your CSA
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