Yes, It’s a long title, but what else was I supposed to call it? Swiss chard and couscous on their own don’t exactly leave you drooling.

Puttanesca, a quick,  briny sauce is perfect with bitter chard. I originally wanted to serve this over quinoa but realized I was all out halfway through preparing the dinner. Oh well, whole wheat couscous is a great stand-in.

If you’re familiar with the traditional version, puttanesca sauce gets a lot of flavor from anchovies. Spanish olives, kalamata olives, and capers help give this sauce a fish-less, salty bite.

Swiss Chard Puttanesca

Ingredients:

1 box (I use Pomi brand) or 1 large can crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp. chopped Kalamata olives
3 tbsp. chopped Spanish olives
2 tbsp. capers
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into thin 1/2 moons
1 large bunch swiss chard
1 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar

1 cup couscous, uncooked

Stack the cleaned  leaves of Swiss chard together. Starting at one end, gently roll up to form a loose roll. Starting from the top, slice the chard into ribbons. You can either keep them long or slice them again in 1/2 lengthwise.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a sauce pot. Add the onion, 1 pinch of salt, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 10 minutes. If the onions start to stick to the bottom, add a splash of water. Add the swiss chard leaves and stems and cook for an additional minute, combing the onion mixture with the leaves. Add the can/box of tomatoes, rinse the container with water, and add to the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients, except couscous, and reduce to medium heat. Let cook until the leaves are wilted and the sauce has reduced slightly, about 20 minutes.

Prepare the couscous: Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add the couscous and 1 pinch of salt. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit for 5 minutes.

To serve: place couscous in bottom of bowl, spoon the Puttanesca sauce on top.

Per serving(4): 224 calories, 5g fat, 38g CHO, 3.3g fiber, 6g protein