Winter Greens, Pancetta & Mushroom Pasta - The Recipe

Winter Greens, Pancetta & Mushroom Pasta
Adapted from Donna Hay Magazine, Issue 22

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
3 cups Farfalle noodles (Donna uses fettuccine, but I didn’t have any on hand)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
½ bunch of Swiss chard, trimmed & chopped
½ cup chicken stock
¼ tsp crushed dried chili peppers
Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
12 slices pancetta, grilled
Finely grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water with 1 tbsp salt until al dente (10 minutes or so, depending on the type of pasta you plan on using). Drain and place in a serving bowl. (This will be ready at the same time as the greens, so nothing gets cold).

2. In the meantime, grill/broil the pancetta in the oven – it only takes a couple of minutes, so watch it.

3. At the same time, heat a large non stick skillet on high heat. Add butter, oil, garlic, thyme, onions and mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes until the onions start to get translucent and the mushrooms lose their “rawness”. Add the Swiss chard and toss until it starts to wilt – about 1-2 minutes. Pour in chicken stock, cover and heat for 5 minutes.

4. Stir in lemon zest, squeeze of lemon juice and dried chilis and toss with the pasta in the serving bowl. Top with crumbled pancetta and parmesan cheese and you’re done.

Serve with a salad and some crispy bread.

Related links: Food and Drink Recipes Pasta