After 18 years of raising hungry boys in my kitchen, I seldom have leftovers when pasta water and butter are paired as the base of a sauce. Every plate is licked clean and I barely have to put any elbow grease into the dirty dish aftermath. My Pennette with Swiss Chard Ragu serves as no exception to that rule. This is one of my favorite simple Italian meals with a vegetarian focus and hearty bite for everyone in the family.

Deriving from penne pasta, pennette from the Campania region takes a smaller shape with the same short, slanted angles. Italians remain split on the question of whether small penne should be smooth versus ridged, but one thing all agree upon is that dried pasta should be stored in a cool, dry place. If pennette is not available to you, substitute with perciatelli or short ziti pasta in most recipes. Pennette is best paired with a vegetable or legume, which is why I call on my favorite leafy green in season, Swiss chard.

When shopping at the farmers' market for this recipe, keep in mind that one pound of Swiss chard is equivalent to roughly twenty large leaves or two bunches. When cooked down, Swiss chard becomes incredibly tender, but adds surprising texture to this pasta dish. The extra sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese will also add depth, but if you have dairy allergies in the family, substitute with a dash of Italian seasoning before serving. The chard, the pasta, the aromatic garlic: all of these ingredients truly come together as one. Perfetto.

Pennette with Swiss Chard Ragu

Recipe excerpted from "Molto Gusto" (ecco, 2010)

Serves 6.

1D4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small white onion, halved and sliced 1D4 inch thick

3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 pound Swiss chard, trimmed and sliced 1D4 inch thick

Maldon or other flaky sea salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Coarsely ground black pepper

Kosher salt

1 pound pennette pasta

3D4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving

1D2 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs, fried in olive oil until golden brown

Combine the oil, onion, garlic and chard in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion and chard are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Season well with Maldon salt, add 1D4 cup water, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard is very tender, about 20 minutes. Add the butter, stirring until it melts, then season with pepper and remove from the heat. (The ragu can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate; reheat in a large pot over medium-low heat before adding the pasta.)

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt. Drop in the pasta and cook until just al dente.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1D2 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta and 1D4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the chard ragu and stir and toss over medium heat until the pasta is well coated (add a splash or two more of the reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce). Stir in the cheese.

Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and scatter the breadcrumbs over the top. Serve with additional grated Parmigiano on the side.

(Mario Batali is the award-winning chef behind twenty-four restaurants including Eataly, DelPosto, and his flagship Greenwich Village enoteca, Babbo.)