Lasagna With Swiss Chard

A few supplies:
  Small roasting pan or a very deep casserole dish (at least 4" tall
     with cover)
  Salad spinner
  Meat grinder
  Large frying pan


Ingredients:
1 1/2# lowfat cottage cheese
2 eggs
2-3 cloves garlic, run through a press or finely chopped
2 gallons swiss chard, leaves only, spun dry.
  (reserve stems/cores for another recipe if desired)

1# package of lasagna noodles, cooked only until pliable

1 can of spaghetti sauce 26.5 oz - 32 oz.

1 quart size can of whole roma tomatoes

3/4 pound of mozzarella cheese

more oregano

Extra Virgin Olive oil

3-4 pounds coarsely ground pork seasoned with the following:
   1/2-1 tsp. ground black pepper 
   3-4 Tbs. crushed dried oregano
   1 Tbs. crushed dried basil
   2 Tbs. ground fennel
   1-2 Tbs. kosher salt
   4-5 shakes of kimchee pepper flakes (or other hot pepper)


In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, add 3/4-1# of the cottage cheese (half or slightly more than half of the container) and the garlic.


Oil the roasting pan well with olive oil.  Put some of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Then brown the pork sausage.  Once the sausage is mostly cooked, add the spaghetti sauce.  Put a layer of noodles in the roasting pan, top with 1/2 of the cheese-egg-garlic mixture.  Pile 1/3 of the swiss chard leaves on top of that.  Add another layer of noodles.  Pile another 1/3 of the swiss chard on top of the noodles.  Put the hot meat & sauce mixture on top of the swiss chard.  Add another layer of noodles.  Press down on the layers to flatten a bit.  Cover the noodles with the remaining cheese-egg-garlic mixture.  Top with the remaining swiss chard.  Add another layer of noodles.  Top with the canned tomatoes.  Break them up with your fingers and evenly distribute them over the top of the noodles.  Pour the juice from the can over the top of the lasagna.  Sprinkle with a bit more oregano.  Put dollops of the remaining cottage cheese over the tomatoes.  Slice the mozzarella, and place slices on top.  Cover the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes to an hour.  When it starts smelling good, check on it.  It will start out at a mounded height of 4-5" tall, but as the swiss chard cooks it will compress down to 2 1/2"-3" tall.


The moisture from the swiss chard and the other wet ingredients should be sufficient to complete the cooking of the noodles.  If you have the patience, let it rest for 20 minutes or so after taking it out of the oven to allow it to set-up.  As you can see from the picture, we were hungry and rather lacking in patience.