Yes to Whole Wheat Pasta!

I had always been scared to venture into the realm of whole wheat pasta. I am a pasta lover, I'm not afraid to admit it. I love pasta in any form, any sauce, any way. But I thought I'd try to be a little healthier and try the whole wheat version tonight (actually it's only 51% whole wheat, but that's better than nothing.) It was actually pretty delicious and I couldn't taste any difference from my normal carb-loaded pasta. Maybe sometime I will venture into complete whole wheat pasta, but I'm a little wary because I had a bad experience with whole grain pancakes... yuck! Can you say cardboard?! For now, I'll advocate for the pseudo-whole wheat pasta.

Tonight, I made a whole wheat pasta with roasted onions and swiss chard. I have been trying to perfect my swiss chard, but every time I make it, it turns out a little bitter. I'm definitely open to any suggestions. Overall, this recipe turned out well. I'd only make a few changes from the original recipe from BakingAndBooks. Probably less onions, it was a little overwhelming, chop the swiss chard, little herb alterations, and I added extra garlic (of course!) I've made my modifications to the recipe below. A healthy recipe after you eat your carrot cupcakes!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Swiss Chard and Balsamic-Roasted Onions

• 1 red onion, sliced lengthwise into thin wedges
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus more later for serving, according to taste.
  
• Coarse sea or river salt
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence
  
• 1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed and cut into ribbons
  
• 1 pound whole wheat pasta (I used Barilla Whole Grain Rotini)
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the onion slices with the herbs de provence, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cover a baking pan with foil and and roast them for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re soft and caramelized. Stir them after 20 minutes of roasting.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. When the water returns to a boil add the chard and cook for 2 minutes, or until wilted and tender. Using tongs, remove the chard from the water and drain in a colander. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute over medium heat, just until it’s fragrant. Add the pine nuts and cook for 1 more minute. Add the swiss chard and 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the roasted onion slices and cook until they are heated through.

Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and toss. Season with extra balsamic vinegar, if you like. Serve immediately.