Pasta with greens and feta

My CSA newsletter had this recipe in it.

6 Tbs olive oil
4 cups chopped onion
7-8 cups cooking greens, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
salt to taste
3/4 to 1 pound pasta
1/2 to 3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet. Add onions and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile put the pasta water up to boil. Add chopped greens to skillet, salt lightly, and stir until greens begin to wilt. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium-low heat.


Cook pasta until al dente. Just as it becomes ready, add crumbled feta cheese to the sauce. (Keep heat on low.) When pasta is done, scoop it out with a strainer and hold it over its cooking water to drain, then add it directly to the potful of sauce. Mix thoroughly. Cook the completed dish just slightly over low heat for a few minutes. Add a small amount of parmesan if desired, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Here's what I changed -- I cut the recipe in half (because without going to the grocery store, I didn't have enough onions, chard, or feta to make the recipe). I used whole wheat ziti pasta. I left out the oil and the parmesan. I used a little less onion and a little more chard than called for. I don't have a scale, so I don't know how much feta I used in pounds, but I used about 2/3 cup of crumbled feta. It was very good.

Three notes -- the whole wheat pasta package LIES. It says to cook it for 5 minutes, but it would practically be crunchy at that stage. 10 minutes is more like al dente.

Speaking of cooking times, the chard only took about 6-8 minutes on low heat after it wilted. It was just right. Any longer and it might have gotten overcooked, I think.

Finally, we have this REALLY good feta cheese right now. There's such a variety in feta, and this is a very creamy, slightly sweet Israeli version for Trader Joe's. We can't remember the brand name, sorry. It comes in a block, not crumbled. I recommend it.