"Does it have a 'y' in it?"

When asking oneself if today is a good day for pasta, there is really only one answer. Yes. Moreover, if you are asking yourself this question, it is quite possible that you need more help than merely a plate of pasta can provide, since it is always a good day for pasta. Period.

This one is a doozy for those like me, who love eating vegetarian, but could never go the whole way, because of sausage. I mean.... sausage. You can keep bacon - yes, it smells divine, but to be honest, the taste is usually a let-down after the gloriousness of that aroma. But sausage! Oh! Particularly Italian sausage with fennel seeds, browned in a pan so the edges are all crispy and caramelized..... Excuse me while I wipe away the dribble on my keyboard.

Whilst pasta might seem heavy for a summer's evening, I think this dish is lightened considerably by the addition of lemon zest. There is nothing more summery than the fragrance of lemon. Add that to the satisfaction of a bowl of carby goodness and the delicious aroma of the sausage and you've got a dish made for any time of year.

Pasta with Sausage and Chard
Serves 5
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

1lb pasta shapes of your choice
2 TBSP olive oil
1lb Italian sausages, casings removed
6 TBSP unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed and chopped into ribbons (should give you about 5 cups chopped)
2 TBSP AP flour
2 3/4 cups milk (I used 2%/semi-skimmed)
3/4 cup grated parmesan
grated zest of 3 medium lemons, or 2 large (should yield about 2 TBSP)
fresh black pepper
extra grated parmesan to serve

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta as directed. When draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat and cook sausage, breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks. Let it start to brown before removing from the pan with a slotted spoon and setting aside.
3. Wipe out the pan with a piece of kitchen roll and then melt the butter in the same pan. Once it is melted saute the garlic for a minute until fragrant. Add the chard and stir until wilted (about 3 minutes).
4. Sprinkle in the flour and good stirring for an additional minute before adding the milk gradually, stirring all the time.
5. Bring the mixture to the boil and let it simmer for a minute before adding back in the sausage with the parmesan, lemon zest and some ground black pepper (don't add salt as it probably won't need it because of the saltiness of the sausage).
6. Simmer for 5 minutes by which time the mixture should have thickened slightly. Add back in the pasta and if the mixture needs loosening, add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water.
7. Serve topped with grated parmesan.