Vegetarian lasagna with chard

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of chard (about 300 g)
• 3 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 5 cups of milk
• 200 g no-boil lasagna sheets (12 pcs.)
• 2 cups fresh ricotta
• 450 gr. grated mozzarella (3 and 3/4 cups)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.
2. Separate the chard stems from the leaves and finely chop the stems; you'll have about 1.5 cups of chopped stems. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Then add the stems, garlic, onion, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir to distribute evenly.
4. Pour in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
5. Finely puree the Swiss chard leaves in a blender with 1.5 cups of the sauce until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and add half of the cheese.
6. Spread about 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom with 3 lasagna noodles, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between them. Spread another layer of sauce, add 3 more noodles, and another layer of sauce. Sprinkle with half the remaining cheese. Continue layering the sauce and noodles, beginning and ending with the sauce, and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7. Cover with foil and bake until the lasagna comes out soft when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese is golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving.