Redemption!

I needed to be redeemed after last night's dinner. I had chicken salad (that won't be blogged because it was not good) and fried squash blossoms. They weren't bad, but for all the work, they weren't great, either. I will have to think about the stuffing and tweak it a bit for next time. Less cheese, more veggies.

Tonight had to be a grand slam. Dev picked some rainbow chard out of the garden this afternoon, and as luck would have it, I had seen a recipe for swiss chard lasagna in an issue of Food Network magazine. I assembled the ingredients and gave it a go.

It turned out really well. It has tons of cheesy goodness, and the chard keeps it light. Next time, however, I think I'll add some chopped fresh tomatoes just to cut through some of the cheesiness.

Here's the recipe:

Swiss Chard Lasagna

6 no-boil lasagna noodles (I used an 8x8 pan, so I only needed 4)
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 bunch swiss chard, finely chopped, leaves and stems separated
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups asiago cheese, grated
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350. Soak the lasagna noodles in a bowl of hot water until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems and garlic and cook until golden, about minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook until wilted, about 3 more minutes.
Mix the ricotta, cream egg, parmesan, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
Brush a 2 quart baking dish with oil and add 3 noodles in a single layer. Top with half of the ricotta mixture, chard and asiago. Repeat with the remaining noodles, ricotta mixture, chard and asiago.
Cover with foil and bake until cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with mozzarella and bake until bubbly and golden, about 5 more minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

I also garnished mine with some tomato salad I had in the ice box.