This hearty, weeknight pasta is one of my favorite meals. Budget-friendly, so easy to throw together, and a healthier take on your typical pasta dish.
First, you’ll want to boil your pasta. Fill a large pot with water and add a decent amount of salt – Your water should taste like the ocean. Bring the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook slightly less than what the package instructions call for – You’ll want the pasta to a touch undercooked because it will continue to cook in the skillet. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water. Coat the pasta with a splash of olive oil to keep it from sticking and set aside.
Meanwhile, crumble the sausage and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is cooked through and no longer pink, about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside. At this point, if you have an overabundance of grease left in the skillet, you can pour some out. However, you will want a couple of tablespoons to sauté the remaining ingredients.
Add the onion to the skillet. Sprinkle with a few dashes of salt and pepper and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the pasta water, broth, and wine. Bring to a strong simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pasta and sausage back into the skillet along with the beans. Gently stir and heat through. Nestle pieces of the butter into the skillet and let melt. Gently stir to coat everything with the melted butter.
Add in the Swiss chard. Stir gently, cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chard is just wilted. Add the lemon juice and stir. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Top with another sprinkling of Parmesan if desired and serve.