Ingredients
1 large bottle of red wine or 2 regular size bottles (750 ml each)
1 box spaghetti
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large red beet, peeled and grated on a box grater*
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch of red Swiss chard, leaves torn from the tough stem and shredded
1/3 pound ricotta salata cheese, crumbled
Directions
*Tip: to keep your hands from turning red when working with red beets, rub a little EVOO on them. The oil coating will make them easy to rinse off. Place a large pot over high heat and add the wine. Fill the rest of the pot with water, about halfway to three quarters of the way up the sides. Bring to a boil; add some salt and the pasta.
Cook according to the instructions on the box until al dente. Reserve 1-2 cups of the cooking liquid when you drain it. While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the garlic and the grated beet, season with a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the Swiss chard to the pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until it starts to wilt down.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and toss it around to combine. Add some of the reserved pasta water if you like the sauce more loose. Crumble the ricotta salata on top and serve.
