All-In-One Red Chard, Chickpea Minestone with Macaroni

I have hardly been out in the allotment garden plot in recent days, partly because of the persistent freezing rain and it has been freezing with snow in some parts of Wales.

I was actually looking forward to November when things around me will be a bit quiet, so that I can also tend to the garden, but its unlikely that the ground will be cleared of spent plants.  One thing that is still growing well is my Rainbow Chard - Here is Ruby Chard.  

I  borrowed a cookbook from the library by Rukmini Iyer called eThe Green Roasting Tin and had bookmarked to make the All in One Kale Borlotti  Minestone with Ditalini, but adapted it with what I had growing in the garden and other ingredients in my kitchen cupboard which these days happens to be a lot of pasta and tinned chickpeas.  

What's great about this recipe is that you put everything in a ovenproof dish and cook! No hanging about the kitchen, stirring ...

There was plenty of left over that I took it into work the following day for lunch. I especially loved how the chilli oil elevated a simple minestrone.

I am sharing this blog post with Dave over at Happy Acres who hosts Harvest Monday every week.



All in One Red Chard, Chickpea Minestrone with Macaroni
Serves 4
Ingredients
100g macaroni pasta
1 onion, finely sliced or minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 x 400g tin of tomatoes, crushed
700ml hot vegetable stock
160g red chard including stalks. chopped thinly
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, borlotti or pinto beans
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 180oc/Gas 6.
Mix all the ingredients in a deep ovenproof casserole dish, cover with foil ad transfer to oven to cook for 50 minutes.
For the Chilli Oil
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chilli flakes,
Heat the oik in a small pan and add the chill flakes.
Let it come to a gentle boil for 30 seconds.  
Then remove from heat and allow to cool.

After 50 minutes, remove the casserole dish from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve.

Drizzle with optional chilli oil.  Adapted from The Green Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer