eat me

recipe for delicious veggie lasagna with tomato sauce and chard [or spinach!]:

i've made this a few times and every time i eat it all way too quickly. it is SO tasty. i've always made it with chard, as in the original recipe [thanks, nytimes] but on saturday i used spinach instead because i had SO MUCH in my garden and this was the best way to use it up. they are both DELISH [swiss chard is probably a bit cheaper]
anyhow. with that said...

-1 generous bunch of swiss chard [or spinach] - whichever you choose to use, make sure you have about 1.5 lbs of it. this shit cooks down like no other.

-salt

-1/2 lb lasagna noodles [regular or no-boil]

-2 T plus 1 t extra virgin olive oil

-2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed

-2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced, OR one 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes with the juice [this saves some time and money and is just as tasty]

-pinch of sugar!

-1 large basil spring [fresh is best, though when i'm in a pinch, i've sprinkled a bit of dried basil flakes]

-freshly ground pepper

-1/2 c. fresh ricotta cheese [kristina, you can find a substitute, i'm sure :)]

-1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan [or more, if you're like me]

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil while you prepare the greens. Tear the leaves from the stems and wash thoroughly. Discard the stems [or do with them what you will]. Prepare a big bowl of ice water.

2. When the water comes to a boil, add the greens. Boil 1-2 minutes [from the time the water comes BACK to a boil] until tender, but still bright green. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to your ice water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside. Now boil your lasagna noodles in the same water [unless using no-boil!], adding a bit more water if necessary. Remove the pasta from the pot and toss with 1 t of olive oil in a bowl.

3. While noodles are boiling, heat 1 T of olive oil over medium heat in a wide, nonstick frying pan. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring until it smells tasty - about a minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil, and salt [begin with 1/2 t and adjust for taste later - i can tell you now you will probably need a bit more than this]. Bring this mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer, stirring often, until it has thickened, 15-20 minutes, depending on the amount of juice in the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove the basil sprig. Stir in the greens and remove from the heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 375. Oil your baking dish and line the bottom with a layer of noodles. Spread half the ricotta over the noodles followed by half the tomato/green sauce. Sprinkle on some parmesan. Add another layer of noodles and top with the remaining ricotta and the remainder of the sauce. More parm. Finish up with your last layer of noodles and MORE PARMESAN! drizzle the remaining olive oil [about a T] over the top. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes, or until bubbling and the pasta is tender.

5. Take out, let cool [for a hot sec], and EAT. MMMMMMMMMMMM.


what i wish mine looked like.