Orecchiette with Rainbow Chard and Lemon

Our last two CSA's we've received beautiful bunches of rainbow chard. This recipe is a simple preparation that uses both the leaves and stems of the rainbow chard. Any hearty green will work in place of the rainbow chard if you would prefer to use something other than rainbow chard. Dave liked the zing from the lemon juice and zest in the sauce as well as the kick from the red pepper flakes. I made three servings with this but you could adjust the amount of pasta and servings based on how much rainbow chard you plan on adding into the dish.

Slightly adapted from Little Ferraro Kitchen.

We received bok choy, mixed greens, rainbow chard, green beans, kale, parsley, cucumbers, a zucchini, and ground cherries.

Ingredients:
-8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
-1/4 cup reserved pasta water if needed for sauce
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-1 large bunch of rainbow chard stems chopped and leaves roughly chopped
-Salt to taste
-1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
-Zest of 1 lemon
-Juice of 1 lemon
-3 eggs (1 per serving)

Boil water in a large pot and cook the orecchiette according to package directions.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, and rainbow chard stems. Saute for 1-2 minutes and then add the rainbow chard leaves and saute until wilted.

Season the chard with salt and pepper then add the orecchiette into the skillet and add the parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add a little pasta water to the skillet if the pasta looks too dry. Serve with an egg and additional crushed red pepper flakes over top.