Swiss Chard with Beans and Tomatoes. Swiss chard sautéed in extra virgin olive oil with garlic, beans, tomatoes and served over whole wheat pasta.
Swiss Chard or “chard” is a beautiful vegetable. If you have never tried this leafy green vegetable I highly recommend it. It is packed with vitamins and minerals making it extremely healthy. And it cooks up very similar to spinach, so it is an easy vegetable to adjust to.
Swiss Chard comes in two main varieties or styles, rainbow and green and white. The rainbow colored chard, most commonly know as ‘Bright Lights‘ or ‘Celebration‘ is beautiful, with yellow, orange, and red stems. This style is ornamental and makes a wonderful addition to the home garden.
The green and white chard, most commonly known as ‘Fordhook Giant‘ is wonderful as well. Not as ornamental as the rainbow chard, but this variety grows large and vigorous leaves.
I grow both types of chard in my garden. Some of the recipes will have colorful stems, and some will just have white stems. Depending how large the chard leaves are, the stems might get over an inch thick. If this is the case with the chard you have, there is a great way that I love to cook the stems.
I remove the stems from the leaves and cook them like fried zucchini sticks. I coat the stems in egg wash and breadcrumbs, then fry up in canola oil .
The taste of chard to me is a bite stronger than spinach, but still tasty and wonderful. I hope this Swiss chard with beans and tomatoes recipe will open your world to Swiss chard, if you haven’t already been introduced.
NOTE
Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
How to Make Swiss Chard with Beans and Tomatoes
Preparing the Pasta:
- Prepare the whole wheat spaghetti according to the package instructions for al dente. Strain pasta and set aside.
Preparing the Swiss Chard:
- Begin by removing the stems from the Swiss chard, then rough chop the leaves.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large pot add in the extra virgin olive oil and bring to a high heat. Next, add in the garlic and onions and sauté for 3 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Lower to medium heat and add in the Swiss chard, salt, and ground black pepper and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Next, add in the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and mix well to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, mixing occasionally.
Brining the Recipe Together:
- Continuing on medium heat and add in the cooked pasta and cook for 3 minutes, mixing occasionally to incorporate all of the ingredients, or until the pasta is to your desired temperature.
How to Serve Swiss Chard with Beans and Tomatoes
- Place the Swiss chard with beans and tomatoes in a large serving bowl and serve with toasted Italian bread.
More Pasta Recipes
Pasta Primavera Recipe
Chop up some vegetables, sprinkle on some olive oil, roast away, and combine with pasta.
Pasta with Escarole and Beans
Escarole sautéed in garlic and oil and combined with cannellini beans, pasta, and grated cheese.
Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Zucchini and tomatoes sautéed with garlic and onions and mixed with pasta.
Pasta with Artichokes and Peppers
Artichokes and peppers sautéed with garlic, onions, and tomatoes and mixed with penne pasta.
The Recipe
Swiss Chard with Beans and Tomatoes over Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb. uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
- 2 bunches Swiss Chard about 8-10 leaves
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 sweet onion sliced
- 1 can 15-16 oz. great northern beans
- 1 can 15-16 oz. diced tomatoes
- 1 can 6 oz. tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
- Before beginning the recipe remember to read the "Invent Your Recipe" section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
Preparing the Pasta:
- Prepare the whole wheat spaghetti according to the package instructions for al dente. Strain pasta and set aside.
Preparing the Vegetables:
- Begin by removing the stems from the Swiss chard, then rough chop the leaves.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large pot add in the extra virgin olive oil and bring to a high heat. Next, add in the garlic and onions and sauté for 3 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Lower to medium heat and add in the Swiss chard, salt, and ground black pepper and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Next, add in the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and mix well to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, mixing occasionally.
Brining it All Together:
- Continuing on medium heat and add in the cooked pasta and cook for 3 minutes, mixing occasionally to incorporate all of the ingredients, or until the pasta is to your desired temperature.
To Serve:
- Place the Swiss chard with beans and tomatoes in a large serving bowl and serve with toasted Italian bread.
Invent Your Recipe
Nutrition
Invent Your Recipe:
For this Swiss chard with beans and tomatoes recipe I am choosing to use great northern beans and canned diced tomatoes. You can substitute cannellini, navy, kidney, garbanzo, or pinto beans in for the great northern beans. I have made this recipe with many different types of beans, so pick your favorite and go with that.
You could also choose to use fresh tomatoes instead of a can of diced tomatoes. I would recommend grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes quartered, or plum tomatoes diced up. You could also forget about the tomatoes altogether and use sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers instead.
I wrote up this recipe with the whole wheat spaghetti, however, I have served the Swiss chard with beans and tomatoes by themselves before. In other cases, I have used faro or quinoa instead of the pasta.
