A reminder that “comfort food” doesn’t have to make you feel guilty afterward. This rollatini is not only creamy and filling, it’s also free of  cholesterol, obscene amounts of sodium, and very low in saturated fat.

Perfect for weeknight or date night, this meal comes together in 1/2 the time of traditional lasagna. If your trying to impress someone special for Valentines Day, try this paired with a simple salad.

Creamy Chard Rollatini

Ingredients:

1 recipe almond ricotta
1 bunch swiss chard (or other green)
8 lasagna noodles
2 cups of your favorite marina sauce. *I used my sauce, below, pureed until velvety smooth.
1 tbsp. oil (or use spray or water )

Almond Ricotta:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup water
1 lemon
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano

Soak almonds in water for at least 1 hour.

Prepare ricotta: In a food processor, puree the the almonds and water until smooth. Add lemon juice, cornstarch, salt/pepper, oregano & basil.

Heat the almond mixture in a saucepan, stirring often until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cook for an additional 2 minutes and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl, cover, and place in refigerator until chilled.

Wash chard leaves, stack on one another and thinly slice into ribbons. Heat oil in a saute pan and add chard. Cook until greens are wilted, set aside.

Cook the lasanga noodles until just al dente. Remove from water and set onto a cutting board.

Pour 1/2 cup of marinra sauce into the bottom of an 8X8 pyrex baking dish. Remove the ricotta mixture from the fridge and mash with a fork. Add the swiss chard, 1/8 cup marinara sauce and stir to combine.

Starting with 1 noodle, place ~2 tbsp. mixture on the wide end of the noodle. Roll up and place the rollatini seam side down in the baking dish. Continue with the other lasanga noodles.

Pour the remaining sauce over the top and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Per Serving (2 rolls): 570 calories, 14 g fat, 92g CHO, 9.2g fiber, 19g protein

Enjoy! What do you plan on making for Valentine’s Day?

Yes, It’s a long title, but what else was I supposed to call it? Swiss chard and couscous on their own don’t exactly leave you drooling.

Puttanesca, a quick,  briny sauce is perfect with bitter chard. I originally wanted to serve this over quinoa but realized I was all out halfway through preparing the dinner. Oh well, whole wheat couscous is a great stand-in.

If you’re familiar with the traditional version, puttanesca sauce gets a lot of flavor from anchovies. Spanish olives, kalamata olives, and capers help give this sauce a fish-less, salty bite.

Swiss Chard Puttanesca

Ingredients:

1 box (I use Pomi brand) or 1 large can crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp. chopped Kalamata olives
3 tbsp. chopped Spanish olives
2 tbsp. capers
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into thin 1/2 moons
1 large bunch swiss chard
1 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar

1 cup couscous, uncooked

Stack the cleaned  leaves of Swiss chard together. Starting at one end, gently roll up to form a loose roll. Starting from the top, slice the chard into ribbons. You can either keep them long or slice them again in 1/2 lengthwise.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a sauce pot. Add the onion, 1 pinch of salt, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 10 minutes. If the onions start to stick to the bottom, add a splash of water. Add the swiss chard leaves and stems and cook for an additional minute, combing the onion mixture with the leaves. Add the can/box of tomatoes, rinse the container with water, and add to the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients, except couscous, and reduce to medium heat. Let cook until the leaves are wilted and the sauce has reduced slightly, about 20 minutes.

Prepare the couscous: Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add the couscous and 1 pinch of salt. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit for 5 minutes.

To serve: place couscous in bottom of bowl, spoon the Puttanesca sauce on top.

Per serving(4): 224 calories, 5g fat, 38g CHO, 3.3g fiber, 6g protein