Pork tenderloin is such a wonderful heart healthy, lean protein. It is easy enough to cook for a weeknight meal and elegant enough for entertaining. The pork tenderloin is a similar cut of pork as filet mignon is to beef. It is lean and when cooked properly, can be very juicy and moist. It is common to see pork tenderloin over-cooked to 160 degrees but pork can still have a little pink and should be cooked to around 145 degrees to produce a moist and flavorful cut of meat. We’ve included whole wheat pasta and sautéed rainbow chard to this recipe for a complete, healthful meal featuring California extra virgin olive oil.
Recipe by Lauren Mahlke
Serves 2
Active Time: 25 min, marinate pork overnight
1 pork tenderloin, a little over a pound
1/2 tablespoon of Smoked Salt (substitute sea salt or kosher salt if you don’t have smoked salt)
1/2 cup of We Olive Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1 large bunch of chard, cleaned, ends of stems trimmed, and sliced in 1 inch ribbons
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb whole wheat fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup robust extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Marinate pork in a zip top bag over night with smoked salt and aged balsamic. Remove pork from marinade and place in a 9×13 baking dish. Reserve marinade. Roast at 375 for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions in salted water. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sear pork tenderloin on all sides until a golden brown crust develops, about 2 minutes per side.
Remove pork to rest on a cutting board. Add sliced chard to the pan that the pork was seared in. Saute for 3 minutes, then garlic and reserved balsamic marinade. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 4 minutes. Season with Salt and Pepper. Add drained, cooked pasta to chard.
To serve, slice pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick slices. In the center of a plate, place half of the pasta and chard mixture and lay pork tenderloin slices on top. Drizzle plate with any leftover sauce or additional balsamic.
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