Penne pasta with chard and ricotta
A sustainable, creamy pasta dish.
Recipe designed by Chef Claudio Fissolo of Felsinea Ristorazione for the Barilla canteen in Novara.
Serves four
- Semolina pasta 320 g
- Chard 200 g
- Ricotta cheese 100 g
- 1 clove of garlic (in its skin)
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (20 g)
- Sheep’s milk cheese 40 g
Nutritional information
Per serving: 447 Kcal
Environmental Impact
Per serving:
311 grams CO2 equivalence - carbon footprint
460 litres - water footprint
This recipe’s environmental sustainability level is: High.
To eat sustainably at each meal, our advice is to keep within 1000 grams of CO2 equivalence (carbon footprint) and 1000 litres of virtual water (water footprint). Remember that animal protein (meat, cheese, fish and eggs) have a greater impact than grains, beans, pulses and vegetables. Vegetable sides generally have a low environmental impact, equivalent to around 100 grams of CO2, including dressing.
Method
Clean and carefully wash the chard.
Boil it in four litres of salted water until cooked (about 10 minutes).
Squeeze out the water and finely chop.
Toss the chard in a pan with oil, a clove of garlic in its skin and chilli to taste (optional).
Keep the cooking water and cook the pasta in it.
Then add the ricotta to the frying pan with the tossed chard. Add a little pasta cooking water to make a creamy sauce.
When the pasta is cooked, add it to the chard and toss them together for a few minutes.
The Chef’s Advice
When serving, add a sprinkle of grated sheep's milk cheese, either Pecorino Romano or Sardo, or a few chopped walnuts for an extra touch of crunchiness. As an alternative to penne, other suitable pastas are cavatelli or orecchiette.
Nutritional Advice
To add fibre to the dish, you can also use wholewheat pasta.
Environmental Advice
Moderate the quantity of dairy products.
Fresh cheeses, like ricotta, have a lower environmental impact than mature cheeses, and when eaten in moderation, are part of a healthy and sustainable diet. Just be sure to limit your plate to one portion of animal protein at each meal. Combining cheese with vegetables is a delicious way to eat sustainably.
