Pasta with crumbled fennel sausage, grilled tomatoes, and Swiss chard

Serves 4

At Union Bar and Grille, chef Stephen Sherman makes this dish with gnocchi, the small potato and flour dumplings (above), but you can use any other short pasta shapes such as farfalle (bow ties), rigatoni (tubes), or fusilli (corkscrews).

2	large ripe tomatoes
1 1/2	tablespoons olive oil
	Salt and pepper, to taste
1	pound pasta such as farfalle, rigatoni, or fusilli
1	bunch Swiss chard, rinsed
1	pound sweet Italian sausages with fennel, casings removed
1/4	cup white wine
1/2	cup chicken stock
2	tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4	cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Turn on the broiler. Halve the tomatoes horizontally. Brush the cut sides with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set them on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil the tomatoes, turning once, for 5 to 8 minutes or until the skin is charred and the pulp softens. Transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board, remove the skins, and chop the flesh coarsely.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until tender but still firm to the bite. Dip a heatproof measuring cup into the water and remove about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water; set aside. Drain the pasta in a colander, then return the pasta to the cooking pot.

3. Remove the thick stems on the Swiss chard. Chop the leaves into 1-inch-wide ribbons.

4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, breaking them up with the edge of a spoon, for 8 minutes or until browned. Spoon off the excess fat from the pan.

5. Add the wine and tomatoes and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the stock and Swiss chard and simmer, stirring to wilt the chard, for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper.

6. Add the sausage mixture to the pasta and toss over medium heat. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, a few tablespoons at a time. Divide the pasta among four bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Adapted from Union Bar and Grille Notes: