When you do, the dish takes on a depth of flavor that is rich and intoxicating. Dill and feta are always a gorgeous combination, but especially when stirred through a thick tomatoey pasta dish laced with swiss chard.
What you’ll need: 1 large leek 1 bunch Swiss chard 1 clove garlic ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon double concentrated tomato paste 9 oz beefsteak tomato 2/3 cup whole wheat orzo pasta 2 oz feta cheese few sprigs of fresh dill olive oil coarse salt freshly ground black pepper
Equipment: oven-safe skillet
Recipe steps:
Prep vegetables Remove root end from leek and finely chop. Rinse leek well in a bowl of water, then drain. Wash swiss chard, then remove stems and finely chop. Roll up leaves and cut crosswise into ribbons. Peel and finely chop garlic. Remove stems from tomatoes, then chop.
Cook vegetables Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, chard stems, garlic, and half to all of the red pepper flakes (depending on your heat preference), and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes.
Add tomato paste Move vegetables to the sides of the pan and add tomato paste in the center. Cook tomato paste, stirring, 1 minute.
Stir in chard leaves Add chard leaves and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes.
Cook pasta Add chopped tomatoes, orzo, 1 ¼ cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until water is reduced and orzo is tender, about 14 minutes. Preheat broiler to high with rack in the middle of the oven.
Stir in dill and feta Crumble feta and remove dill sprigs from stems. Finely chop dill (you should have about 2 ½ tablespoons). Stir in ½ the feta and all the dill into the orzo and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the remaining feta over the top and broil until bubbling and feta is somewhat melted, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!
