This Simple Pasta Menu Is Full of Great Greens

A quick entree with a simple side and a wine pairing from Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson is the perfect menu for a casual, healthy meal. Follow this game plan featuring our recipe for Orecchiette Pasta with Artichokes and Swiss Chard to create a dinner full of fresh greens.

Recipe for Orecchiette with Artichokes and Swiss Chard

Game plan:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook artichokes with shallots and garlic; add chard and other ingredients.
3. Cook and drain pasta. Preheat oven to 400° and toast pine nuts.
4. Combine pasta with artichoke mixture, and top with goat cheese.
5. Prepare spinach salad and serve with pasta.

Simple side: Spinach Salad With Pine Nuts and Red Grapes
Toast 1/3 cup pine nuts on a baking sheet in a 400° oven until fragrant (about 5–7 minutes). Remove. Combine a bag of prewashed baby spinach with 1 cup red grapes in a large bowl. Top with nuts and your favorite balsamic vinaigrette.

Andrea’s wine pick: Tuscany’s Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Teruzzi & Puthod (around $12–$13).
Artichokes are known for their funky flavor interaction with some wines, making them taste oddly sweet. But Italian whites handle the “artichoke effect” just fine, and enhance the earthy flavor of the artichokes and Swiss chard. Look for a tangy, lemony wine made from the vernaccia grape, such as Tuscany’s Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Teruzzi & Puthod.