Orzo Pasta with Chickpeas & Chard

Yield

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 8 oz dried orzo pasta (about 2 cups uncooked)
  • ½ pound bacon, cut into ⅛-inch wide pieces (optional)
  • 3-4 scallions
  • 2-3 garlic scapes or garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 2 cups zucchini, small dice
  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas/garbanzo beans
  • 1 bunch chard, stems and leaves separated
  • 3-4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp stoneground mustard
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼- ½ cup fresh basil
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Parmesan cheese (for serving), optional

Instructions

  1. Cook orzo pasta according to package instructions until al dente.  Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
  2. Next, prepare the garlic and scallions.  Separate the bottom portion of the scallions from the green tops.  Thinly slice both the bottom portion as well as the green tops but keep the tops separate from the lower portion.  Finely chop the garlic scapes and set aside.
  3. Heat a large skillet or sauté pan, over medium heat.  Add the bacon and fry until crisp and golden.  Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside.  Drain off any excess bacon fat.  You want to leave about 4 Tbsp of bacon fat in the pan.  NOTE: If you choose not to use the bacon, you can omit this step.  Replace the bacon fat with 4 Tbsp olive oil and proceed with the remainder of the recipe.
  4. Next, add the garlic scapes and scallions (lower portion only) to the pan.  Sauté briefly, then add a pinch of red pepper flakes, zucchini, and chickpeas to the pan.  Sauté for 5-10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and just slightly al dente.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar with stoneground mustard.  Stir to combine, then pour in the skillet with the chard, zucchini, etc.  Chop the chard stems and add to the pan.  Make a stack with the chard leaves and slice them in half lengthwise, then horizontally into strips about ¼ inch wide.  Add chard leaves to the pan and season with salt and black pepper as well as ¼-⅓ cup pasta water.  Stir to combine and allow the chard to wilt down.
  6. Once the chard is wilted, add the orzo along with red wine vinegar and 2 Tbsp lemon juice.  Simmer for 3-5 minutes.  Add more pasta water if needed.  You want the orzo to shimmer, but you don’t want it to have a lot of liquid in the pan.  Remove from heat and stir in the basil and sliced scallion tops.  Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt, balsamic vinegar and/or lemon juice as needed.
  7. Serve warm topped with freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

Notes

Recipe developed by previous Harmony Valley Farm farm chef Andrea Yoder.

For more amazing recipes featuring vegetables from your CSA boxes, visit our recipe archives!

 

 

Orzo Pasta with Chickpeas and Chard
Orzo Pasta with Chickpeas and Chard
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