Dive into these delightful celeriac ribbons, a fantastic gluten-free 'pasta' alternative that's bursting with flavour. The earthy celeriac, combined with vibrant chard, aromatic garlic, and crunchy pumpkin seeds, creates a dish that's both wholesome and incredibly satisfying. Plus, it's packed with fibre and iron!
Peel the celeriac and, using a vegetable peeler, cut long, wide strips (about the width of pappardelle) around the circumference. Place the ribbons into a bowl of water with the juice of one lemon to prevent discolouration.
In a dry pan, toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until they puff and pop. Once toasted, remove them from the pan and set aside.
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the celeriac ribbons and cook for 1 minute. Drain the celeriac, reserving some of the cooking water.
In a non-stick frying pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil and butter until the butter has melted and foamed. Add the thyme leaves, finely chopped garlic, and dried chilli flakes to the pan.
Cook the garlic mixture for 5 minutes until fragrant and almost golden. Separate the chard leaves from the stalks, slice the stalks, and shred the leaves. Add the sliced chard stalks to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the toasted pumpkin seeds and shredded chard leaves to the pan. Season with salt and black pepper, then squeeze in some fresh lemon juice. Increase the heat and stir in half of the grated pecorino cheese.
Add the blanched celeriac ribbons to the pan along with a splash of the reserved cooking water. Toss the mixture, shaking the pan until the sauce looks glossy and coats the celeriac evenly.
Divide the celeriac ribbons between two plates, top with the remaining grated pecorino cheese, and serve immediately.
For a richer flavour, you can roast the celeriac ribbons lightly with a drizzle of olive oil before adding them to the pan.
If you don't have pecorino, grated Parmesan cheese makes a good substitute.
This dish is best served immediately to maintain the texture of the celeriac ribbons.