Lasagna with Greens

​Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

This recipe can be adapted for any leafy green, and you can add roasted vegetables, protein, and extra cheese as you see fit!

½ pound greens (½ bunch of collards, kale, Swiss chard**), stemmed and washed
Salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil for the pan
3 cups marinara sauce, preferably homemade from fresh or canned tomatoes
½ pound no-boil lasagna noodles
½ pound ricotta
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan

Blanch the greens in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Once cool, coarsely chop. Mix chopped greens, garlic, and egg into the ricotta.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2- or 3-quart rectangular baking dish with olive oil. Spread a small amount of tomato sauce over the bottom and top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with a thin layer of ricotta. Top the leaves with a layer of tomato sauce, followed by a thin layer of Parmesan.
Set aside enough tomato sauce and Parmesan to top the lasagna and repeat the layers until all of the ingredients are used up. Spread the tomato sauce you set aside over the top, and sprinkle on the Parmesan. Make sure the noodles are covered, and cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and uncover. Check to be sure that the noodles are soft and the mixture is bubbly. Return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes if desired, to brown the top. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
** If using Swiss Chard, remove the stems and sauté in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Then, mix into ricotta with the leaves!