I love Giada

This past week I got a bunch of Swiss Chard in my CSA. I immediately put together a plan to use it in a recipe because I knew that otherwise, it was get pushed to the back of the fridge and would not be found until it was green moldy goo. :) Does this ever happen to you? It usually happens with things I don't like, or don't know how to use... So last night, I made a take on Giada De Laurentiis's "Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino cheese".

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/whole-wheat-spaghetti-with-swiss-chard-and-pecorino-cheese-recipe/index.html

If you want the real recipe, use the web address above. It got 198 reviews with 5 stars on the food network website, so it should be great! Below is the actual recipe I used last night. I omitted things that I didn't have, substituted etc. However, it was still delicious and a really fast meal to cook, which is a huge bonus on our late evenings out.

Here is my version:
-1 TBS olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-1 bunch of Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1 jar of "Silver Palate" marinara sauce
-a splash of white wine (1/4 cup?)
-salt and pepper
-1/2 box of rigatoni
-Gruyere cheese

(NOTE: I basically substituted Gruyere cheese for Pecorino, regular pasta for whole wheat, and did tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes).

1. Saute onion in oil on MH in a deep fry pan. Add chard and cook until it shrinks up (about 2 minutes). Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
2. Add a splash of wine and cook one minute. Add pasta sauce and simmer at least 5 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. :) Salt and pepper to taste.
3. While this is happening, cook the pasta according to directions. Put sauce over pasta, grate cheese on top and serve!

I would have done the toasted pine nuts if we had them on hand (SO GOOD!), so I highly recommending trying them out as a garnish. Like I said before, Giada's recipe is probably much better than mine, I was just working with what I happened to have on hand. That being said, I encourage you not to be afraid to substitute and try 'creating' your own recipes. The best way to learn to cook instinctively is experiment and see what happens! You can cook almost anything if you have a few basic skills (sauteing onions and garlic in oil is the start of a LOT of dishes!), But that is another post all together. :) Cheers!