Delicious Chard and Kalamata Olive Pasta

hello gourmet looking pasta, yet it’s not nearly as gourmet to make it!! this was actually a piece of cake to make but man, it looks good and tastes even better, trust me! with salty kalamata and a slightly smoky hint of flavor from the chard, Delicious Chard and Kalamata Olive Pasta is a crowd-pleaser.

meatless monday is a thing for me 365 days of the year and for others it’s once a week or more. my goal with this platform and my recipes is to make eating vegan so good and convenient that you consume more plant-based foods.

when people tell me they go all the way and went vegan, my heart feels happy. there are so many delicious vegan dishes out there and plenty enough to never get bored.

the last five years, people constantly ask me how i get my protein and other nutrients, and let me tell you, it is NOT hard. i take supplements and make sure i’m eating a wide-range of nutrients. whenever i get routine bloodwork done, everything has always come back normal.

for this recipe, i used chard in a couple of different ways! i bought two bunches of chard at Whole Foods! the first chard bunch is steamed in this recipe as it is used as the base of the sauce.

as the for the second chard bunch, i cut it into slices, sautéed with onions in avocado oil and mixed it with kalamata olives, the sauce and pasta.

it’s just a fun way to create different textures and flavors and all of these worked perfectly together. you can totally just use kale or something but this is a fun switch up!

Delicious Chard and Kalamata Pasta definitely gives some pesto type of vibes with some pine nuts in the sauce. i added everything to a food processor, just as i would with a pesto.

you could one hundred percent add basil and it would be a wonderful addition, especially with it’s aromatic flavors.

i used chard because check out it’s nutrient profile y’all! this is directly quoted from Healthline.com.

“Swiss chard is a leafy green belonging to the Chenopodioideae family, which also includes beets and spinach (1Trusted Source).

Grown worldwide, it’s prized for its ability to grow in poor soils and its low need for water and light.

Although its name may lead you to believe it originated in Switzerland, Swiss chard is native to the Mediterranean (2Trusted Source).

There are many types of Swiss chard, some of which have colorful, jewel-toned stalks and veins, making this vegetable particularly pleasing to the eye. 

What’s more, its leaves and stalks provide an abundance of vitamins, minerals and powerful plant compounds.

Just 1 cup (175 grams) of cooked Swiss chard packs (3):

• Calories: 35
• Protein: 3.3 grams
• Carbs: 7 grams
• Fiber: 3.7 grams
• Vitamin A: 214% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
• Vitamin C: 53% of the RDI
• Vitamin E: 17% of the RDI
• Vitamin K: 716% of the RDI
• Calcium: 10% of the RDI
• Copper: 14% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 38% of the RDI
• Manganese: 29% of the RDI
• Iron: 22% of the RDI
• Potassium: 27% of the RDI

As you can see, a small serving of cooked Swiss chard covers your daily need for vitamins A and K and nearly fulfills the RDI for vitamin C. 

What’s more, Swiss chard is a good source of calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, sodium, phosphorus and vitamin E.

This green is not only loaded with nutrients but also extremely low in calories, making it a weight-loss-friendly food.”

are you going to make Delicious Chard and Kalamata Olive Pasta

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