This seasonal pasta dish will be on the table in under 20 mins. A great dish for this weekend if you have guests coming over. It has a velvety sauce that will wow your guests but it’s not too filling. It’s also great for a quick midweek meal when you have a couple of sausages left in the fridge.
It can be adapted if you can’t get the lovely seasonal chard either to spring greens or cavolo nero ( dark kale ). Maybe a friend who has an allotment or veggie patch will gladly give you some.
I think sometimes chard can be pushed aside slightly. Many people I speak to shy away from it as they aren’t sure how to use it. It sometimes can confuse people with its large leaves and stems. I personally love the veg and feel it should be showcased more. It’s beautiful colours are a delight to look at. Especially as we are in Autumn now. Mine are still growing well in the kitchen garden, some have bolted as I want them to go to seed but the others are fine.
I may even grow some more over the coming months.
Linguine with sausage meatballs and chard:
Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
Sausage Meatballs:
- 3-4 pork sausages ( Meat taken out of the skins )
- A small handful of fennel fronds/tops chopped
- A sprig of sage chopped ( 4 leaves )
- Salt and cracked black pepper to season
Pasta:
- 200g, linguine ( I used dry )
- Good glug of Rapeseed oil ( I use cold pressed )
- 1 medium sized red onion diced
- 1 large clove of garlic chopped, use 2 if very small
- 4-5 chestnut mushrooms sliced
- A good pinch of chilli flakes or you can use fresh.
- 2 large handfuls chard chopped roughly, stalks a little smaller. If you can’t get chard, use spring greens or cavolo nero.
- 1/4 gel pot of chicken stock
- 2 ladles hot water from the pasta
- Slug double cream
- fresh parmesan grated
Method:
- Cook linguine to packet instructions
- Mix together the sausage meat, herbs and seasoning and create small meatballs. This will make roughly 16 small sized ones.
- Whilst that is cooking, fry of the onion in rapeseed oil on a medium heat for a minute, then add in the mushrooms. You may need to add a little more rapeseed oil.
- After a couple of minutes bring your mixture to the sides of the frying pan.
- Add in your meatballs into the middle and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring as you go.
- After a couple of minutes, add in the garlic and toss all together.
- When the meatballs are starting to brown slightly, pop in the chard.
- As it cooks down, add in your chilli flakes and chicken stock.
- Add in the water from the pasta and reduce down for a minute or two.
- Drain off your pasta, keep some water if you feel you need to add a little more.
- Add a slug of double cream and a little grated parmesan
- Add your pasta to the sauce using tongs or a spaghetti spoon so you don’t add too much at once. Fold the velvety sauce through the pasta.
- Serve into large pasta bowls and add a sprinkle of grated fresh parmesan.
ChezJ9 