Pasta with Sausage and Swiss Chard
I have been making this recipe for Pasta with Sausage and Swiss Chard for so long that it predates us living in the farmhouse. It has always been a favorite of mine and I never tire of this combination of flavors and textures.
Swiss chard is a constant in our summer garden. I plant it year after year and love how easy it is to plant and maintain. It’s beautiful to look at in the garden with its brightly colored tall stems and glossy large leaves reaching for the sky.
I prefer the flavor of chard to spinach, so I plant quite a lot of it. I plant a crop early in the season as soon as the ground is warm enough to tolerate planting. Then I plant a second crop in late July or early August in a portion of the garden that gets a bit of shade during the day to offer a bit of respite from the harsh summer sun.
Between those two plantings, we have fresh Swiss chard to enjoy all summer long. I like to use the tender leaves and crisp stems in any recipe that calls for spinach or kale, but this pasta is our absolute favorite way to enjoy chard. It’s such a delicious combination of flavors and so easy to make after a long day of working in the garden.
While we often enjoy the combination of sausage and chard tossed with pasta, we also serve the garlicy chard and sausage over creamy grits which is every bit as delicious. When chard is abundant in the garden, I cook up a batch as a side dish to grilled meat by simply omitting the sausage and reducing the bone broth by a half.
If you prefer spinach, chard, or other greens to chard, they could certainly be used in this recipe. Any mildly flavored green would be equally delicious, so I’d use whatever is fresh from your garden or local farmer’s market and enjoy every single bite!
If this recipe caught your attention, you might want to try…
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Pasta with Sausage and Swiss Chard
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8 – 12 ounces Italian sausage , removed from its casing
- 3 garlic cloves
- pinch red pepper flakes (if desired)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large bunch Swiss chard
- 1 cup bone broth or stock
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound penne or other short pasta
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place a large pot of water over high heat. Bring to a boil before adding 2 Tablespoons of salt and holding at a boil until you are ready to cook the pasta.
- Prepare the Swiss chard by washing thoroughly. Use a sharp knife to separate the stems from each leaf. The stems require more time to cook than the delicate leaves, so I like to add them to the pan separately. Chop the stems into ½ inch pieces. Roll the leaves and slice into thin ribbons.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, tilting the pan to cover the entire bottom surface with oil. Add the sausage that was removed from its casing, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Cook until it has browned evenly, approximate 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes (if you desire a spicy pasta), and tomato paste. Stir to incorporate and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the Swiss chard stems and sauté for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Add the sliced leaves, salt and pepper, and half of the bone broth or stock, stirring to incorporate. Lower the heat to medium low and allow the mixture to simmer as you cook the pasta, adding more broth as needed to keep the pan from going dry.
- Add the dried pasta to the boiling salted water and cook until al dente, according to package instructions, (approximately 12 minutes). Drain the pasta before transferring to the skillet with the sausage and Swiss chard mixture. Stir to incorporate, adding more bone broth if needed to coat the pasta. Taste and season as needed before serving hot with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe calls for a pound of pasta? It was WAY too much! And the photo looks like shredded parmesan not grated? Grew chard for first time and was excited to try your recipe. Turned out just “ok”.
I am sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this recipe. We have been making it this way for over a decade and always enjoy it.
The recipe calls for a pound of pasta as that is the typical weight of a box of dried pasta. The cheese can be grated or shredded to the size of your liking as the recipe can easily be adjusted to suit your likes and preferences.
I encourage my readers to adjust any recipe to highlight their favorite flavors and to use what they have on hand. Everyone has unique preferences and a recipe is merely a roadmap to inspire you and set you on your journey to find your unique take on a recipe that is perfect for you.
Enjoy your first chard harvest.
I have made this a few times and we really enjoy it. The amounts (i.e. 1 pound pasta is perfect). Whether the parmesan is grated or shredded makes no difference.
Pay no attention to rude people . For some reason that many of us don’t understand, recipe bloggers are a target. Your reply was professional and kind.
I am so glad that you enjoy this dish as much as we do. Thank you for leaving your kind comment. I really appreciate it!
Made this for a quick dinner tonight with Swiss chard from the garden. I substituted cheddar cheese ( It was all I had) and it was delicious
I am so glad that you enjoyed it and that you made it your own by using what you had on hand. Some of the best dishes come together that way!
I have not tried it yet but plan too. I have been following for yrs and enjoy all our posts! Kudos to you on replyng to less than tactful folks. Grace and goodness always win.
Thank you for your kind words. I am so glad that you enjoy following along and hope that you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Like you, I believe that grace and goodness win.
This looks so easy and delicious, can’t wait to try!
I hope that you will enjoy it as much as we do!
This is my “go to ” recipe when I need to use up my Swiss chard. My granddaughter loves it (5 years old)
I’ve also made it with chorizo sausage. Very tasty and easy.
Thank you
I am so glad that you enjoy it and that it is granddaughter approved!
We used 300g of pasta & approx. 1 extra Tbsp. of tomato paste. I added some onions from the garden. Absolutely loved this dish!
Thank you for the inspiration!!
That sounds like a delicious adaptation to me. I am so glad that you made it your own and enjoyed every bite!
i loved loved loved this recipe! my neighbor gave me fresh swiss chard and i made it! thank you!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it as much as we do!
This was absolutely delicious! I made it with our homemade Italian sausage. Didn’t have Swiss chard so I threw a bunch of power greens from Costco in. So easy and good!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it. It must have been especially delicious with your homemade sausage!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it!