Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Swiss Chard & Caramelized Onion Lasagna

12 oz no boil lasagna noodles
4 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bunches (about 3 lbs) red Swiss chard, stemmed, leaves coarsely chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 cups milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbs grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

1) In large skillet, heat 1 Tbs oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, 30 seconds. Add chard and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard to medium bowl and stir in ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2) Wipe out skillet, heat remaining 3 Tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until onions begin to brown all over, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Cook, stirring, until deep amber in color, about 20 minutes more. Remove from heat and splash with vinegar. Set aside.
3) In medium saucepan, heat 2 1/2 cups milk over medium heat until steaming. Meanwhile, put flour in small bowl and whisk in remaining 1/2 cup milk until smooth; whisk into hot milk mixture and whisk constantly until sauce comes to a simmer and thickens. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Stir in Parmesan or Asiago cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4) Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Coat bottom of prepared dish with 1/2 cup of sauce. Line bottom with a single layer of noodles. Spread half the chard over the noodles. Add another layer of noodles, arrange caramelized onions on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread another 1/2 cup sauce over all. Add another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining chard mixture. Finish with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
5) Lightly oil a large piece of aluminum foil or coat with nonstick cooking spray and use it to tightly cover dish. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, or until lightly browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Review: I should have read the instructions before agreeing to make this. It was sooooo much work! I seriously had three pots of food cooking at once! And my whole house reeked of onions. The end product was really yummy, but this is not something I'd make on a regular basis because it took so much work. But, I learned a great trick. I always have cheese stuck to the foil when baking and I have no idea why I never previously thought of spraying it with oil! I'm so going to keep that tip in my memory bank!!!

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