Me & The Moose

Chard, pancetta, and farro salad

Time: 35 minutes (20 active)
Yield: about 6 side servings

1 cup uncooked farro
3 cups water
8 oz pancetta, diced small (I use the pre-diced stuff, which doesn’t render as much fat, but is a big time-saver)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil, as needed
1 large onion or 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 small bunches chard, rinsed, dried, and roughly chopped (about 6-8 cups)
5 large cloves garlic
2 large pinches salt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 - 1 cup crumbled ricotta salata, cotija, feta or other crumbly, salty cheese

Rinse the farro and add to a medium pot with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the farro is tender, but still chewy. Drain any remaining water.

Heat a separate pan (I love cast iron for this dish, but use whatever you have) over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until hot. Turn the heat down to medium/medium-low (if the pancetta fat is popping, turn the heat down more and gradually raise it) and add the pancetta. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is browned, smells gamey, and has rendered some fat, about 5 minutes.

If needed, add some olive oil to the pan. Add the sliced onions or shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions or shallots have wilted and become translucent, about 3 minutes. If the onions seem like they’re cooking too fast, adjust the flame to medium low.

Add the chard and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until the chard is wilted, about 3-5 minutes.

Test for seasoning and add salt as needed.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and stir several times. The residual heat of the pan should cook off some of the vinegar.

Drain any water from the cooked farro and add to the pan. Stir and test for seasoning.

Top with crumbled cheese and serve.

Are you guys ever surprised by your own agency? I feel like I've gotten more on board with the decision-maker role, but some things still catch me off guard. For example, I often forget that I can change the radio station in the car when I hear a song I don't like. I'll listen to something really annoying until it suddenly occurs to me, "I could change this." I'm a weirdo.

That said, you don't have to live with boring basic pasta salad! (In fact, you don't have to bring pasta salad to parties at all, but you'll want to when you read this recipe.)

Pasta salad feels like one of those things that food snobs are supposed to hate. But I'll be honest, my mom makes one that, on paper, sounds gross (pasta, mayo, celery, hard boiled eggs, celery salt, etc), but is actually delicious.

However, more often than not it's included on a BBQ table as more of an afterthought than a star. But this guy right here, is a star. It's nutty, salty, crunchy, tangy, and full of greens. AND, it's vegan. When do you have a pasta salad whose flavor doesn't hinge on some meat or cheese? Use a gluten-free pasta if that fits your dietary needs and everyone is happy.

A few notes:
-None of these veggies need a ton of cooking and I would eat corn raw all summer if you let me. But if you like things more well done, feel free to increase cooking times. Just a note, the more you cook garlic scapes, the mellower the garlic flavor gets, so I would advise against overcooking them lest they lose their kick entirely.
-Don't be afraid of salt here. Since there isn't a traditional sauce or a terribly large amount of oil, the flavor of this pasta hinges on the salt (and the veggies, nuts, lemon, and olive oil, but mostly, the salt). I oversalt the pasta water (use what you normally would and then add another 2 large pinches) and season the veggies as they're cooking and again once you've added all of the ingredients together. It may feel like a lot of salt (and taste throughout cooking and prepping, lest you add more salt than you personally enjoy), but I do think it's necessary to have a hefty amount of seasoning here.

Chard, corn, and garlic scape pasta salad

¾-1 lb dry pasta (in v salted water)
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large head chard (if less than 8 leaves or if very small leaves, use two heads)
8-10 large garlic scapes
3 medium or 2 large ears of corn
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
½ cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped
½ cup marcona almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup torn fresh basil
1 tsp kosher salt
Pepper
Nutty cheese (optional)

Bring water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and add to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

While the pasta is cooking, wash and chop the chard, garlic scapes, and corn. In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chard first and allow it to wilt for 1 minute. Season with more salt. Add the garlic scapes and cook both veggies, tossing and stirring frequently, for about 5-7 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the cooked vegetables to the pasta and olive oil and toss. Add the lemon juice and toss again. Add the chopped nuts and torn basil and toss again. Test for seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed.

If using, add the cheese just before serving.

Yield: So much pasta salad. But seriously, at least 6 adult servings, more if this as a side dish.