This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Farfalle with Swiss Chard Pesto is a quick and easy weeknight meal that can be prepared ahead of time. A vegan recipe that can be made gluten free
Jump to Recipe
Another quick weeknight meal or lunch. Both the pasta and the pesto can be prepared ahead of time and kept. Warm, assemble, refresh with some pepper, cashew or dried basil and serve. Swiss chard gives the pesto a bright green color and it stays that way even when refrigerated. Use glutenfree pasta for a gf meal.
Farfalle with Swiss Chard Pesto
Ingredients Â
- 1.5-2 cups farfalle, cooked al-dente with salt (or any pasta of choice. Use gf pasta for gf)
- 5 big Swiss chard leaves and soft ribs
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or organic canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or black pepper
- 1/2 cup packed basil, or use 2 Tablespoons basil pesto
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1-2 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup water, coz my blender needs some water to blend well. and hence made about 1 cup of pesto
InstructionsÂ
- Heat olive oil/canola in a pan on low-medium heat, add garlic and chopped Swiss chard. Cook covered on low for 4-6 minutes or until the chard just about starts to wilt.
- Blend with basil, pepper, Extra virgin olive oil cashews and a little water if needed. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, without any change in color.
- Cook pasta, and serve topped with the pesto.
- Garnish with some powdered Raw cashew mixed with nutritional yeast and pepper flakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We had some leftover pesto, so I roasted some large Turnip slices with salt and a little oil the next day, added some fresh chopped tomatoes to the pesto, and topped the Turnip slices with it for a delicious snack!
This sounds fantastic! chard is one of my favorite greens but somehow I have never thought to make pesto with it. This clearly needs to change! 🙂
Love pesto! One of my favorite ways of eating greens, especially the ones that lived in the fridge a tad too long…
One of my favorite meals is pasta topped with a vegetable based sauce – and I’m trying this one, next! Most of my sauces are spinach based, but I’ve never had swiss chard so I’m going to give it a try 🙂 Cannot wait!
Cadry, yes it applies to all greens high in oxalic acid.. since that interferes with absorption of nutrients like calcium. a quick one minute boil or steam reduces the acid content.
I love pesto. It is one of those foods that feels fancy even though it’s incredibly easy, and the fresh flavors transport a person to summer when basil is in abundance. I didn’t realize that the oxalic acid in swiss chard is reduced when it’s cooked. That’s very interesting! I wonder if that is true for other vegetables that are high in oxalic acid, like spinach.
Thank you for your kind words on the earlier posts too Dassana! Hope you keep visiting!:)
Thanks Junia. You can use any other leafy green. i pick the ones available at the farm that week and then use it!:)
Thank you Jess and Anu!
Thank you Chinmayie, Raji, Char!
Thanks Deeps, you can use spinach, but spinach wilts quickly, so keep an eye on it:)
Thank you Shannon!
wow very useful post….and pesto with swiss chard…awesome innovative idea….and very healthy too!
this looks wonderful richa, thank you for sharing 🙂
i LOVE the idea of roasting parsnip and topping them with pesto. DELICIOUSNESS. i don’t normally my swiss chard, but i love green leafy veggies!