Swiss Chard Tart: Pasticcio di Bietole al Forno

It sounds like a mouthful doesn't it! Well, that is Mario Batali for you! I have never cooked with Swiss Chard before and enjoy trying new ingredients. For those of you not familiar with Swiss Chard, I have added a little video for you. Swiss chard is a vegetable, and while its leaves are eaten, it is a member of the garden beet family which is grown for its edible roots. From a general standpoint, it is spinach-y, yet more course. When I first read this recipe I was taken aback, however upon reading it further, I said to myself, "Self! Eggs, cheese, and such...you can do this!"

Not-surprising, I took on this task on an evening where I have a million things to do! (Something Jr, or men in general, would find impossible to accomplish. I have learned to accept that they compartmentalize everything from activities to life. There are plenty of wonderful, sweet, and helpful things they can do. Multitasking is not one of them!) Alas, this is what I have on my plate tonight: run at the river, making promotional bags for my doctors, packing up my car, cleaning up the porch, taking an online test about ethics, calling the help desk because I cannot log on, interviewing a bride for Carolina Bride, making a tart!, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning up the kicken, facebookin', bloggin', doing laundry, entering my calls, bloggin' some more, uploading pictures and videos, and finally writing an article for Carolina Bride that was actually due yesterday. Oh...and prepping for a baby shower that I am hosting tomorrow. I am sure I am forgetting something, like relaxing and eating. Nonetheless, my tart is in the oven, browning up and smelling delicious. I will keep you posted as to how it turns out!*

Swiss Chard Tart: Pasticcio di Bietole al Forno
courtesy: Mario Batali
Ingredients
2 pounds Swiss chard, washed and spun dry
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/8 cup
3 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring 8 quarts water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.
Roughly chop the Swiss chard, discarding the rough stems. Add the Swiss chard to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
In a 12-inch saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over a medium flame until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and the parsley. Let cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a small bowl. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons of Parmigiano and, using a whisk, mix until the ingredients are well-blended. Add the egg mixture to the cooled Swiss chard and toss to combine.
Using the remaining olive oil to lightly grease a shallow 9-inch round or oval baking dish. Dust the bottom of the baking dish with 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Carefully place the Swiss chard and egg mixture into the pan. Dust with the remaining Parmigiano and then the remaining bread crumbs.
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve hot or room temperature.

*Just under an hour later, it came out of the oven bubbling and golden to perfection! It smelled warm, cheesy, and delicious. I let it cool slightly and cut myself an entire quarter. It was a little bit of green heaven, surrounded by a crisp crust. For the record, I only used 1 pound of Swiss Chard, because it was slightly expensive and just for myself this evening. Instead, I added another egg. It turned out nicely. It will make for a great breakfast tomorrow. I can only imagine that another pound of chard would make it thicker, but I think it would be a little too leafy.