Lasagna With Chard, Tomato Sauce and Ricotta

Ingredient of the week to get rid of: Swiss Chard.

The Times has this new segment to the Food Section called Recipes For Health. It's organized by ingredient, which I love, but there are no user comments on the recipes, so it's a toss up how things will turn out. Last night we tried the Lasagna w/ Chard - Stan cooked it all up on his own, and we added turkey sausage, bc without meat we're unhappy.

View the construction of our healthy adventure:



It actually turned out quite yummy. Though we've decided that lasagna is best if the last layer is sauce, not pasta. Pasta dries up and just starts tasting (and looking) like pasta jerky.

I need to do something about my photos. They look like they were taken in the 1970s. It's the lighting in my apartment, but I really don't like bright lights...

Lasagna With Chard, Tomato Sauce and Ricotta
Adapted from The New York Times

1 generous bunch Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt
1/2 pound regular or no-boil lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large turkey sausages
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 chopped shallot
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, or 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice
Pinch of sugar
1 large basil sprig
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
1/3 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil while you prepare the chard. Fill a bowl with ice water. Tear the leaves from the stems and wash thoroughly in two changes of water. Discard the stems or set aside for another purpose.

2. When the water comes to a boil, add the Swiss chard leaves. Boil 1 minute (from the time the water comes back to a boil), until tender but still bright green, then remove from the water with a slotted spoon or skimmer and transfer to the ice water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside. Cook the lasagna noodles in the same pot of water if not using no-boil lasagna noodles. Remove the pasta from the pot and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil in a bowl.

3. In a wide, nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic and shallots. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the meat and saute until browned. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil sprig, and salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon and add more later), and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring often, until thick, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the amount of juice in the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove the basil sprig. Stir in the Swiss chard and remove from the heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil a square or rectangular baking dish (no bigger than 2-quart) and line the bottom with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread half the ricotta over the noodles and half the tomato-chard sauce over the ricotta. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the tomato-chard sauce. Add another layer of noodles and top with the remaining ricotta and tomato-chard sauce, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Finish with a layer of noodles and the remaining Parmesan. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes, or until bubbling and the pasta is tender. Uncover, allow to sit for 5 minutes, and serve.