Pesto-Chard Lasagna

from the SF Chronicle

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
1 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed
8 ounces lasanga sheets
18 ounces ricotts
1/2 cup parmesan
14 ounces mozzarella (she uses less)
1/2 bunch basil, leaves roughly chopped
1 cup pesto
salt and pepper to taste

Oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 13-by-9 inch baking pan and a large cookie sheet with olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a oil.

Put the potatoes in another, medium pot, and cover with well-salted water by two inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender with pierced with a knife (about 20 minutes). Drain, let cool slightly, then quickly peel and slice about 1/4-inch thick.

Meanwhile, blanch the chard in the large pot in two batches until tender (note: I think quickly sauteeing/steaming in a pan would work just as well). Remove with a slotted spoon and keep the water at a boil for the pasta, then roughly chop the chard leaves and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Return to a colander to drain.

Cook the pasta until al dente (when draining, reserve a little of the water). Place on the large cookie sheet, cover with wax paper and top with more pasta.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta and parmesan cheeses.

To assemble, line the bottom of the baking pan with two sheets of pasta, overlapping a bit. Dollop the top with spoonfuls of half the cheese mixture. Drizzle or dollop with pesto. Cover with the potato slices, placed ended to end, filling in any gaps with half-rounds. Season with salt and pepper. Top with one cup of the mozzaralla, then half the basil.

Add another layer of noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, the rest of the pesto, all of the chard, one cup of mozzarella, and the remaining basil.

Add a final layer of pasta and cover with the remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Put under the broiler for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes before serving.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Close
nicole spiridakis © copyright 2023