Cheater Cheater Pasta!

The other night, I had to throw something together quickly before Bren got home from improv class. Cue this delicious pasta which I'm calling "Cheater Cheater Pasta" because it involves using a jar of (gasp!) Classico pasta sauce. The one with caramelized onions and garlic if you must know.

I don't make a lot of pasta, but these days, with less to spend on food, I make it about once a fortnight. And I've been buying Classico sauce not because I like the sauce that much (I mean, jarred sauce isn't that great no matter what you get for under $10 right?), but because I love the mason jars! I'm collecting them so that I can put all my lentils and beans and whatever else in 'em.

I had a big bunch of swiss chard, a packet of Trader Joes Chicken-Mango sausage, some green garlic, the afore-mentioned pasta sauce and half a bag of whole wheat rotini. It all made me think of this awesome pasta dish my sister made for me when I visited her the other month. I was so surprised by how much I liked it that I couldn't stop talking about it.

Hmmmmm.

So I quickly sauteed the green garlic in some olive oil until it had softened, gently browned the sausage which I sliced into thin rounds, then threw in the stalks of the swiss chard which I chopped into fine little chunks. I didn't let them cook too long, because I love their crunch and bright magenta colour, so I quickly dumped the leaves which I'd rolled up and sliced into thin ribbons. A sprinkling of salt, pepper and fresh nutmeg, throw the lid on for a few minutes to allow the leaves to wilt, a jar of sauce, and a slow simmer while I cooked the pasta, a quick grate of parmesan and a last-minute handful of pine nuts and... taa-daa! DINNER! The sauce took on a little sweetness, probably from the mango sausage and the chard makes you feel like you're eating something that's good for you.

Try it! It's EASY!

-x-
aarti