Spaghetti with Greens and Beets

I had to use up some Swiss chard, beet greens and leftover roasted beets I had so I came up with this recipe. You could use any greens such as kale, spinach, or collard greens. I like a mixture of the hardy bitter greens and the tender greens like chard or spinach. This spaghetti turned such a beautiful pink color that even my boys commented on it. My husband’s comment was mainly “outstanding!”. If you don’t have roasted beets, you can omit them and just make it a spaghetti and greens recipe. You can drizzle oil over the beets and wrap individually in foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour until tender.1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 head garlic, separated into cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup dried currants

2 roasted beets (see introduction above), cut into cubes

2 pounds of mixed greens such as beet greens, chard, spinach and kale, washed and chopped

1 pound spaghetti

1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut into slivers

6 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then cook garlic, stirring, until golden. Transfer garlic with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Saute the onion in the remaining oil in the skillet until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add currants and cook about 1 minute. Add in greens (if using hardy greens like kale add them in first and cook a bit before adding in tender greens like spinach or chard). Season with salt and pepper and cook, covered until leaves are tender. Add in the cubes of roasted beets.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

Toss spaghetti with greens and beets. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in a bowl sprinkled with feta cheese, garlic chips and kalamata olives.