Do you fancy a tasty fresh vegetable sauce to dress pasta with? This vegetarian recipe will make your mouth water! Imagine your favourite type of pasta dressed withdried tomatoes, chard and pine nuts.
Dried tomatoes (those ones well spiced with garlic and chilli pepper if you like) give a strong flavour.
Chard gives nutrition elements with its re-mineralising properties, it is a good source of vitamins A and C, oxalic acid (similar to calcium), magnesium, iron, potassium, sodium, fibres and carotene. It also contains folic acid which is always suggested before and during pregnancy. ;-)
Pine nuts give the sauce its crunchiness and they are very rich in proteins. According to the website www.lospicchiodaglio.it "pine nuts are composed by 50% lipids, they are rich in phosphor, calcium and vitamin A. Consumption should be limited to small amounts because they are a high-calory food".
This dish was born by change as it often happens. I had thought of preparing the Pancetta, Chard and Parmesan Cheese Pasta but when I've opened my fridge I've seen I had not got pancetta. Actually my fridge was nearly empty...there was only our fantastic jar of home-made dried tomatoes made by my husband...it was shining out, all alone over there...
So I've started using my Thermomix and slowly this sauce was born. I've blended very well the ingredients so that my daughters could appreciate it too in the form of a cream. :-)
Because of its colours (green of chard, red of dried tomatoes and white of pine nuts) this is a perfect Italian tricolour dish! :-)
Another Italian tricolour first dish is the Lasagne with Basil Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese and Béchamel Sauce.
Ingredients
(2 people serving - about 250 g Pasta)
- 40 g Olive Oil
- 150 g Chard
- 4 Dried Tomatoes
- 10 g Pine Nuts
- Parmesan Cheese to taste
How to prepare the Dried Tomatoes, Chard and Pine Nuts Pasta Sauce
Put oil in the bowl. 3 Min. 100°C Speed 1.
Wash chard very well and cut into thin stripes. Put it into the bowl. 10 Min. 100°C Reverse Speed 1. Put aside.
Put dried tomatoes and pine nuts in the bowl. 1-2 Sec. Speed 1.
Add chard. Stir. 10 Sec. Speed 3.
After straining pasta put it in the bowl and amalgamate. 1 Min. Reverse. Speed 3.
Serve and dust with grated parmesan cheese if you like.
Translated from the Italian recipe
Pasta con Pomodori Secchi, Bieta e Pinoli: Sugo Tricolore