11415 Winter Greens Lasagne 1 hr 35 mins 30 mins 10 to 12 servings Sat Jan 12 04:34:00 -0800 2008 Tue Aug 25 12:09:56 -0700 2009 Medium Cal-Med CHOW http://www.chow.com/recipes/11415 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:09:56 GMT Makes eating your greens a pleasure Layers of kale, chard, ricotta, and crème fraîche make for an impressive and irresistible lasagne. Wilting the greens with cream and layering them with ricotta and Parmesan makes this a satisfying lasagne that’s both easy (no sauce to prepare) and vegetarian. Even those who don’t usually get excited by cooking greens enjoy the earthy flavors they provide here.

What to buy: Crème fraîche is a naturally thickened fresh cream with a tangy flavor and a rich texture, and it doesn’t curdle or separate when heated. If you can’t find it, sour cream is a decent substitute.

This recipe was featured as part of our Cooking with Winter Ingredients story.

]]>
  • Heat the oven to 400ºF and arrange a rack in the middle. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
  • Add cream and a few handfuls of greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly wilted. Continue adding greens a little at a time until all are slightly wilted. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, completely wilted, and coated in cream, about 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper and remove from heat.
  • Spread 1 cup of the crème fraîche evenly over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of 4 noodles, allowing them to overlap slightly. Using a slotted spoon, scoop 1/3 of the greens mixture from the cream and evenly spread over the noodles, then cover with 1/3 of the ricotta and 1/4 of the Parmesan. Repeat to make two more layers, and end with a final layer of noodles on top. Evenly pour 1/4 cup of the cream over the noodles. Mix together remaining crème fraîche and Parmesan and spread evenly over top.
  • Cover the lasagne with foil and bake until bubbling and starting to brown, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned completely and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

    • Beverage pairing: Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Blanc, Italy. The cream and cheese in this dish suggest a white wine with both acid and some heft, while the chard and kale beg for something with earthiness and herbaceousness. Sauvignon Blanc is the answer, especially one from Friuli in northeastern Italy, where it often has great acid structure and fine apple and lime flavors, as well as a high-pitched green streak.

    ]]>     http://www.chow.com/assets/2008/12/lasagna2_290.jpg Amy Wisniewski 84 Pasta/Noodles 2 tablespoons olive oil

    ]]>     54 1 medium white onion, medium dice

    ]]>     74 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

    ]]>     2 cups heavy cream

    ]]>     1 pound red kale, washed, tough stems removed, and coarsely chopped (about 10 cups)

    ]]>     106 1 pound Swiss chard, washed, tough stems removed, and coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)

    ]]>     1 1/2 cups crème fraîche

    ]]>     1 (9-ounce) box no-boil lasagna noodles

    ]]>     1 pound fresh ricotta

    ]]>     2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 5 ounces)

    ]]>     7079 amy wisniewski 1 chow 466 onions 14048 winter ingredients 273 party 183 pasta 771 potluck 770 satisfying 14384 ski lodge 9636 adults 435 vegetarian 1619 omnivore 755 travels well 2747 make ahead 1605 dinner party 376 lasagna 3041 lasagne 18447 pasta chart 1043 houseguests 933 winter 1046 cold weather 213 thanksgiving 216 holiday 40 greens 5758 cooking greens 11768 kale 176 chard