I love chard! It is leafy and green — what's not to love? During the Summer months, I like to avoid turning on my stove, so I found this oven-less recipe for a main dish featuring red swiss chard; it's lowfat, so I thought I should share it.

Using whole wheat penne really increases the amount of fiber and nutrition in any pasta dish. Plus, this dish is colorful, featuring green, red, and orange, so you know you are getting a variety of nutrients and antioxidants (pigment in produce is generally created by antioxidants). If you happen to not be a fan of chard (which I honestly cannot imagine), you can make this dish with spinach too.

To see this tasty recipe, just read more.

Whole Wheat Penne with Chicken, Chard and Pepper
adapted from Culinary.net

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch swiss chard (leaves and stems separated - chop stems)*
1 cup chicken broth
1 box whole wheat penne pasta
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken then add onion, pepper, chopped chard stems and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes.
3. Fill large pot with lightly salted water and bring to boil.
4. Add chard to skillet, sautée until thoroughly until wilted.
5. Add chicken broth and remaining salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
6. While broth is heating, cook penne. Drain and return to pot.
7. Add chicken mixture to hot penne and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with cheese and chopped parsley.

*Chard tip: The easiest way to prepare chard is to simply rip the leaves from the stems. Then you can chop the stems and the leaves separately.

Serves 4-6

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