I’m one of those people who subscribes to cooking magazines, zealously cuts out a jillion things that look good, and then waits for-ev-er before actually making any of them. Usually. But this cover recipe from the April issue of Cooking Light broke me right out of that rut. It kept calling my name from its perch on the coffee table until I gave in and made it a few weeks ago.

It.   Was.   Amazing.

Easy, creamy, healthy, fresh – reminiscent of a pesto sauce but even better. I could have eaten the entire recipe myself. But my husband and those three little people who live with me were pretty enamored with it as well and so I had to share. Sigh.

I made a few substitutions to suit our taste which I’ve included below. If you’d rather try it as written, by all means have at it! But make this. Please. And will you invite me over for dinner when you do?

Pappardelle with Swiss Chard, Herbs & Ricotta

with some significant adaptations,  from Cooking Light April 2011

serves 4 (unless you are dining with me!)

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta) (I used extra wide Amish noodles – no pappardelle at Kroger)
1 tsp. kosher salt (original called for 1 Tbsp – yikes!)
1/3 cup  part-skim ricotta cheese
3 cups Swiss chard leaves, cut to 2″ pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (original called for dill- not my favorite)
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiana Reggiano (original specified Romano)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain in a colander,  reserving 1 c. of cooking liquid.

2. In a nonstick skillet, saute Swiss chard in 1 Tbsp. olive oil until tender.

3. Combine 1/2 cup reserved hot cooking liquid, chard, and ricotta cheese in a food processor or blender, and process until well blended. (I did this so my kids wouldn’t flip out about big pieces of chard in their pasta – you could leave the chard out to stir in later.)

4. Combine hot pasta, cheese/chard mixture, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Add additional cooking liquid if needed. Serve.

This morning on the Cincinnati Fox Affiliate (Fox19) I shared a “weeknight simple” meal that is special enough for an occasion like Mother’s Day. Let’s face it, in most homes, once her annual breakfast-in-bed is over, Mom is quickly back on duty in the kitchen and she deserves a little inspiration! This dish provides just that. It’s a shining example of what we believe at Nourish – that dinner can be delicious, healthy and simple!  Since asparagus is in season right now, I’ve used it in this dish, but you could also use red peppers, or green peas and mushrooms, or even broccoli florets in place of asparagus. This cooks in one skillet which makes cleanup extra easy. And since it’s Mom’s special day, hopefully someone else will be doing the dishes anyhow…

If you’re new to Nourish, welcome! Please take a look around the site to learn more about what we do – and be sure to subscribe to the blog and to our monthly e-newsletter so we can provide you with ongoing inspiration to feed your well-being.

Update: Here’s a link to the clip from FOX19.

And, here’s the recipe!

Chicken & Asparagus in Lemon Sauce

This dish cooks quickly and all in one skillet. Serve it over whole wheat pasta, brown rice, or quinoa. Add a salad and a glass of mint lemonade and you have a Mother’s-Day-ready meal!

Serves 4

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, cut into 1” pieces

1 lb. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1” pieces

1.5 c. low sodium chicken broth

3 Tbsp. lemon juice (squeezed from ½ lemon)

1 tsp. corn starch

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and add chicken. Saute until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add asparagus and sauté 2 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender.

2. In a small bowl or cup, combine broth, lemon juice and cornstarch, and whisk to combine.

3. Pour broth mixture into skillet over chicken and asparagus and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 3 minutes to allow sauce to thicken.

4. Serve over a cooked whole grain starch of your choice, prepared according to package directions  (e.g. brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta), and garnish with a lemon slice and a sprinkle of fresh parsley or thyme.