Bring a large pot of water up to a boil.

Slice the stalks of the chard into pieces and set aside. Stack up the chard leaves, roll up and slice into strips.

Warm half of the olive oil and garlic in a skillet over medium heat, as soon as the garlic sizzles toss in half of the chard leaves. When they are bright and just wilted, dump everything into a food processor or blender.

Slice the carrots and roots, first into thin long disk slices- the carrots will be diagonal, while the roots will probably be big and round. Next, stack up and slice into thin match-stick strips.

Add a splash more oil to the skillet and toss in your sliced carrots and root sticks. Sauté lightly until they appear tender.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the directions until el dente— about 6-10 minutes.

Now back to the food processor/blender…
Add in half of the nuts, the nutritional yeast and/or grated parmesan cheese and the lemon juice (add the zest too, for even more flavor!). Pulse until it becomes pesto-like in texture. Add a splash of the pasta water if it is not blending well.

When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving a cup or so of the pasta water.

Add the remaining chard leaves to the vegetables and sauté until they are wilted. Fold the pesto and pasta into the vegetables, using a splash of the pasta water, if any of the ingredients are clumping.

Sprinkle with the extra nuts and parmesan, if using.