Stuffed Swiss Chard

Name: Stuffed Swiss Chard
Ingredients: 15 Oneounce container ricotta cheese (skim or whole milk), well drained; 1 egg; 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese; Salt to taste; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; 8 large whole Swiss chard leaves with stems, washed; 1 small onion, diced; 2 tablespoons Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup tomato sauce; Ingredients

Swiss chard is one of those vegetables that mystify people. What to do with it? Short of steaming or boiling it and serving it like spinach, it doesn’t seem to get the same kind of innovative treatment that other vegetables get. Why not stuff it with ricotta cheese? Light and airy, this makes a good side to meats and fish and is a vegetarian’s dream.

Serves 4

Ingredients

15 Oneounce container ricotta cheese (skim or whole milk), well drained
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
8 large whole Swiss chard leaves with stems, washed
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
Ingredients

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a bowl combine the ricotta cheese, egg, 1/4 cup of the grated cheese, salt and parsley. Set aside.
Cut away the stems from the Swiss chard and thinly slice them. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Add the whole leaves and blanch for 10 seconds. Carefully remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and allow them to cool.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. When the oil is hot add the onion and stem pieces and cook them over medium heat until the stems soften. Cool the mixture slightly, then add to the bowl with the ricotta cheese mixture.
Lay each Swiss chard leaf flat and spread 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture down the center of each. Starting from the end nearest you, roll each leaf up to encase the filling, folding in the sides as you go.
Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the base of a casserole dish.
Place the Swiss chard rolls in a single layer in the casserole dish and spread the remaining tomato sauce over the tops of each.
Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese.
Cove the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately.