1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon canola oil
8 ounces onion — chopped
2 cloves garlic — minced
2 pounds fresh tomatoes — peeled and seeded
1 can tomato paste — (6 ounce)
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt — optional
freshly ground pepper 8 ounces fresh chard
1 pound linguine
Substitutions: 1 can (28 ounce) crushed or whole, peeled tomatoes with juice. Use any long, thin pasta.
Prepare the chard: wash, remove ribs, and cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons.
In a large saucepan or sautepan, toast seeds until very lightly browned. In food processor or nut grinder, grind half of the seeds until very fine.= Reserve remaining half for garnish. Heat oil in the pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook briefly. Add tomatoes,= tomato paste, ground sunflower seeds, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer about 15 minutes until somewhat thickened. Steam chard until tender, about 5=
minutes. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain; remove to serving platter. Toss with sauce. Top with remaining sunflower seeds. Serves 6
Copyright=A9 1996, Jane A. Rubey, M.P.H., R.D. World Rights Reserved