How to Make Pasta with Swiss Chard and Mushrooms

Swiss chard is a leafy vegetable that is very easy to grow yourself, and is delicious in all sorts of meals. Here's how to make a quick, simple pasta with it, along with some cheap and readily-available ingredients.

Edit Ingredients

• Four large leaves of Swiss chard (spinach leaves are a reasonable substitute)


• 150 grams (5.3 oz) pasta (penne or fusilli are ideal)


• Vegetable oil


• Butter (or vegan substitute)


• Four closed-cup mushrooms


• One onion


• Four cherry tomatoes (or half a normal tomato)


• Salt (or substitute)


• Basil


• Fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese for garnishing (optional)

Edit Steps

1. Add a little oil to your frying pan and put it on a low heat.


2. Chop the onion finely, avoiding tears.


3. Add the chopped onion to the frying pan.


4. Wash the chard thoroughly.


5. Cut the stems from the chard just below the leaves.


6. Slice the chard stems into two or three thin segments lengthwise (depending on the thickness of the stem).


7. Slice the chard stems in the other direction, to chop them into small chunks.


8. Add the stems to your frying pan.


9. Finely chop the leaves of the chard.


10. Add the chard leaves to your frying pan and stir.


11. Chop the four mushrooms finely.


12. Add the chopped mushrooms to the frying pan, then turn up the heat.


13. Cut a slit in the cherry tomatoes. Then, squeeze the insides into the frying pan.


14. Chop up the remainder of the tomato finely. Add that to your frying pan.


15. Add salt, basil, and your favourite herbs and spices to the frying pan, to taste.


16. Keep it moving! This is best done with a hot hob (stove top); it needs to be stirred continuously to stop it from burning.


17. Add a little water to your frying pan as the vegetables start to stick to the bottom of the pan (which they will).


18. Keep cooking and stirring until the chopped mushrooms have largely disintegrated, the tomato is no longer identifiable, and the chard starts to lose its consistency.


19. Add a little more water to your frying pan, then turn it down to a very low heat. Cover your frying pan.


20. Add a little butter and salt to the pan in which you will be cooking the pasta, then add water. (The health-conscious can skip the salt; vegans can use a little cooking oil instead of butter. The latter will stop the pasta from sticking, but it won't taste as nice.)


21. Bring your water to the boil then add the pasta to the boiling water. Stir occasionally until the pasta is cooked; this typically takes 10-15 minutes.


22. Drain your pasta once it is cooked.


23. Remove your frying pan from the heat, then uncover (carefully!) and add your pasta to your frying pan. Mix them well.


24. Return the frying pan to a high heat and cook your pasta mixture for another 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.


25. Garnish and serve.

Edit Things You'll Need

• Large frying pan, with lid


• Saucepan for cooking the pasta

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Cook Pasta


• How to Add Vegetables to Pasta


• How to Prepare and Cook Swiss Chard

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