Duo of Pasta: Gemelli with Sausage, Swiss Chard, Pine Nuts and Raisins & Cavatappi with Bacon, Goat Cheese and Arugula

I stumbled upon these recipes online at Martha Stewart while lunch planning for my week. In an effort to save money in this expensive city, I spend my Sunday nights whipping up my meals for the week. The challenge is to make a dish that stays fresh while keeping it unique. I love each recipe’s use of fun pasta shapes and exciting, bold flavors.

The Gemelli Pasta dish combines sweet Italian sausage, bitter swiss chard, the crunch of toasted pine nuts and an unexpected sweetness from the raisins. The parmesan and goat cheese tie all the flavors and ingredients together.

For a lighter option, try the Cavatappi Pasta dish. The dish combines salty bacon crumbles and creamy goat cheese along with a crunch from the arugula and red onion. The Dijon mustard dressing brings in a bold flavor while still keeping it light. These pasta salads can be served on their own or as a dinner side to a protein. Each recipe provides 4 servings. Enjoy!

Gemelli with Sausage, Swiss Chard, Pine Nuts and Raisins

Ingredients:

1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound Swiss Chard, tough stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 pound gemelli, or other short pasta
3/4 cup raisins, plumped in boiling water and drained
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese

In a large skillet, toast pine nuts over medium-high heat, shaking the pan to toast evenly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet.

In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook, breaking it up with a fork, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add swiss chard, garlic and pepper; cook, tossing, until chard wilts, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover to keep warm.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions, about 12 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot.

Add sausage mixture to pasta with 1/2 cup reserved cooking water, raisins, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan and goat cheese; toss to combine. Add more cooking water if pasta seems dry. Serve with more Parmesan.

Cavatappi with Bacon, Goat Cheese and Arugula

Ingredients:

3/4 pound gemelli or other short pasta
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (3 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 bunch arugula (8 ounces), torn
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 slices thick bacon

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, toss pasta with beans and goat cheese. In a large skillet, heat bacon over medium-high heat until crisp.

Make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard and season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate pasta mixture and dressing separately, up to 1 day.) To serve, toss pasta mixture with dressing, arugula, onion and crumbled bacon.