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Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Mario Batali’s Edible Garden Recipe of the Day: Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Chard, Garlic, and Dandelions

Posted in Mario Batali's Edible Garden on September 25 2011, by Ann Rafalko

From August 27 – September 25, families can explore Mario Batali’s Edible Garden in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and enjoy daily gardening activities and cooking demonstrations showcasing kid-friendly recipes with the chance to sample and search for ingredients in the garden. We are posting the recipes from Mario Batali’s Edible Garden here on the NYBG blog, Plant Talk, so check back often.

Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Chard, Garlic, and Dandelions

Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali

Chard in Mario Batali's Edible Garden at the New York Botanical GardenThis pasta is both healthy and showcases the bounty of the harvest. ‘Bright Lights’ chard is a favorite seasonal vegetable because of the incredible bold color of its stems: gold, pink, orange, and purple. They add a beautiful color to your garden and, in this case, to your plate.

Kosher salt
1 pound whole wheat rigatoni
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/3-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound Bright Lights chard, trimmed, stems and leaves sliced 1/4-inch thick
Dandelion greens, stemmed and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot, stir in onion and garlic slices. Add the ‘Bright Lights’ chard and dandelions into the best food processor and let it do the work. Season with salt. Cover and cook until chard and dandelions soften, about 5 minutes.

When water is boiling, add 2 tablespoons of salt and drop in pasta. Cook pasta until two minutes short of package cooking time for al dente.

Uncover chard and dandelions, stir and cook, for 8 or 9 minutes more, until the greens are very tender.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 2 cups pasta water. Drop the pasta into the sauté pan with the chard, along with a ladle of pasta cooking water. Toss thoroughly until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is evenly coated, adding more pasta water if needed. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season with fresh pepper.