Tuesday, June 19, 2012

chard, ricotta and mushroom lasagna


The other night there wasn’t anything on TV that grabbed my attention, so I picked up some back issues of Bon Appetit magazine that were sitting beside me in my catch all basket. I came across a recipe for Ginger cookies which I earmarked to make. But while in the kitchen the other day to make the cookies, I realized the recipe called for vegetable shortening which I don’t normally have in my cupboards so I put that to one side. But I did see this recipe in the same issue. And as we love chard and mushrooms in this house, and I had some lasagna sheets, I made this for supper the other night. I was a bit concerned it was going to taste very similar to this which features a chard and mushroom mixture as well, but it was quite different and just as lovely.

 

Swiss Chard Lasagna with Mushrooms and Ricotta (adapted from Bon Appetit)

2 ½ c milk and vegetable stock mixed
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter
¼ c all purpose flour
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 large bunch Swiss chard, center rib and stem cut from each leaf
250g frozen mixed greens (chopped kale, mustard greens and collard greens)
2 tbsp olive oil
½ large red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided
kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 lb crimini and button mushrooms, sliced
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
fresh lasagna noodles
500 g container whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 c grated soft farmers cheese
8 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and milk and whisk to blend. Cook for about 5 minutes, whisking until the flour and butter are completely blended. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to simmer. Cook until the sauce is thickened.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and remaining garlic and saute until the mushrooms are brown and tender. Add in the sliced chard and the rest of the greens and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Spread about 3 tbsp of sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Lay one layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread half of chard/mushroom mixture over the pasta. Drop half of the ricotta over in dollops and spread in even layer. Sprinkle with half of farmers cheese, then 4 tablespoons Parmesan and then spread 3/4 cup of béchamel over. Repeat layering with the noodles, remaining chard and mushrooms, ricotta, farmers cheese, Parmesan, and 3/4 cup béchamel. Cover with noodles and remaining béchamel.



Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake lasagna covered 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until heated through and top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes longer (I turned the broiler on for a couple of minutes to get the top brown). Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

No comments: