Creamy Swiss Chard Pasta

July 11, 2009

090709swisschardpasta Creamy Swiss Chard Pasta

I specifically went grocery shopping (with a list) on Thursday morning to buy the rest of the ingredients I’d need for the week’s meals. Somehow I still managed to forget the sour cream and lemons for the Baked Lemon Pasta I intended to make that night. No problem, I used what I had instead.

I chopped all the swiss chard from my CSA and sauteed it with a small, minced onion and some crushed garlic in olive oil until it was soft. I added those veggies into a package of undercooked (very al dente) egg noodles, and then also added some chopped fresh parsley, about a tablespoon of lemon juice (from a jar — that was all I had), a cup of reduced-fat ricotta, and an 8 oz. package of reduced-fat cream cheese. I stirred it well until the cream cheese melted completely and it was all combined. The mixture went into a 9″ x 13″ casserole, was topped with a tiny bit of grated Parmesan, and baked at 375° for about 40 minutes.

It was very good, but very filling — too much cream cheese. It definitely had a mac and cheese vibe, which appealed to at least all of the adults eating! I’d throw something like this together again, but it didn’t have the memorable flavor of the lemony dish I’d intended to make.