Giada De Laurentiis's "Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese"

If there was any cookbook I would say you must own, it would be Giada's Family Dinners by the Food Network italian chef Giada De Laurenttis. Every Italian dish i've made in her cookbook tasted fantastic and looked beautiful. I also really love her Everyday Pasta book because pasta is literally my favorite food next to sourdough bread and princess cake and all of the recipes are simple to make and absolutely delicious. I HIGHLY recommend the cinnamon-pancetta spaghetti carbonara and the chicken with lemon cream dish. 

As you guys may know, my mom has been very sick lately, so my dad and I have basically been fending for ourselves for dinners (ie. takeout). However, it was really cold and foggy outside today, and somehow that made me feel in the mood to warm, home-cooked dinner. And whenever I cook, I always turn to one Laurentiis's cookbooks. Although i've added a few extras like chicken breast, the following recipe is completely credited to her. 

This recipe can be made in under an hour, so its actually really simple for teens to make! Try it guys!!!

Ingredients (Serves 4):

2 chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces 

lemon juice (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

Cooking Spray

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 bunches swiss chard, washed and torn into large pieces

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14-1/2 can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup white wine (like Chardonaayyyy) say it in a fancy accent!!!

pinch dried red pepper flakes

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (or regular if you don't have whole wheat)

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, chopped

 Pecorino cheese (hard, Parmesan-like cheese; substitution: Parmesan)

Directions: 

1. Spray cooking spray evenly on the bottom of a large heavy frying pan or coat pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Let the oil heat up, then cook cubed chicken in the pan over medium-high heat until nice and golden brown, about 10-12 min. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, then remove from the pan and place in a small bowl.

2.  Add 1 T olive oil to pan and then cook the onion until golden, about 8 min. 

3. Add the chard and cook until the leaves are wilted and significantly smaller in size, about 2 min.

4. Time to add my favorite flavoring-garlic! Cook the garlic with the onions and chard for about 1 min. 

5.  Add the chicken back in, then pour the canned tomatoes and the wine in the pan.  Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and a couple spoonfuls of cheese. Stir, let boil, then cover with a tight fitting lid. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 5-10 min.

6. While the sauce is simmering, boil whole wheat pasta in a large pot full of salted water. Cook until pasta is "al dente" (al-dent-tay), meaning the pasta is firm when bitten and not crunchy or too soft.
7. Drain and then add the steaming hot pasta to the sauce. Stir gently. Serve pasta dish with a sprinkle of chopped olives and a spoonful of grate Pecorino or Parmesan cheese. Bon Appetito! :)