Previous
Summary
This thin, delicate lasagna elevates the homey dish into the realm of high-class dining. The secret to the deliciousness is both the use of no-boil noodles and the homemade sauce which, while it takes a little time, is easy to whip together. (I would recommend making a double or triple batch of sauce and freezing the rest for another use.) If you don’t have the time, a pre-made tomato sauce will serve. As always, feel free to substitute spinach or another leafy green for the chard.
Servings
6 smaller servings
Prep Time
0 hours, 45 minutes
Cook Time
0 hours, 35 minutes
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter:
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt to taste
For the lasagna:
- 1 generous bunch Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
- 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese (or more to taste)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan (or more to taste)
- 8 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
For the sauce: Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (about 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste. (You might find that your tomatoes came salted and you don’t need to add more.) Set aside 1/2 cup of sauce separate from the rest.
For the lasagna: Wash chard. With only the water clinging to the leaves, place the chard in a micro-wave safe covered bowl or bag. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, until tender but still bright green, then cool enough to squeeze out excess water with a paper towel. Chop coarsely and stir into the bulk of your tomato sauce along with the chopped basil, leaving only the 1/2 cup you set aside free of chard.
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, the reserved pure tomato sauce, and the remaining Parmesan. 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.
