Rigatoni with swiss chard sauce, garlic, chilli and parmesan

Ingredients

• 500 g rigatoni
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, or silverbeet
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt, to taste
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 60 g finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, checking it for doneness 2 minutes before the recommended cook time has elapsed.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the Swiss chard on a clean worksurface. Use a sharp knife to separate the leaves and stalks. Leaving the green leaves whole, finely chop the white stalks. Bring a second saucepan of salted water to the boil over a high heat.

3. Heat the olive oil in a third large saucepan and add the finely chopped Swiss chard stalk. Season with salt and sauté for 3 – 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes, until fragrant and until the chard stalk is tender.

4. When the water has come to the boil, blanch the Swiss chard leaves for 2 minutes, or until just tender. Reserve 2 tbsp of the cooking water, then drain, then place into a high-speed blender with the parmesan and reserved cooking liquid. Blend to a smooth sauce.

5. Pour the green sauce into the saucepan with the Swiss chard stalk, then remove from the heat. When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the sauce and toss well to combine.

6. Divide the rigatoni with Swiss chard sauce between bowls and sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese and serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

Want more from The Cook Up?

• Stream free here at SBS On Demand

• Get the show recipes, articles and more here