Pasta with chard, hazelnuts and garlic

Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 15 mins
Ingredients
  • 500g fresh pasta, I used fusilli 
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 large bunches chard, finely chopped
  • 150g hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped
  • 100g grated Parmesan 
  • 1 lemon
  • Black pepper
  • Sea salt  

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain, but keep a little of the cooking water in the pan.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat the butter in a frying pan, and once it starts to foam add the crushed garlic then remove from the heat. Stir gently to ensure the garlic is heated through and no raw flavour remains. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, pour the garlic infused butter over it and stir well.

3. Return the pan to a medium high heat. Add the finely chopped chard, leaves and stems. Add a splash of water and stir gently. Once the chard is bright and the leaves wilted, add the juice of half a lemon and season well with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned chard to the pasta and stir it all well. Add half the hazelnuts and combine gently.

4. Divide the pasta into four bowls. Scatter the remaining chopped hazelnuts over and top with Parmesan.

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer