Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style

Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style.
Different region, different recipe. The original Parmigiana is sacred, but people’s creativity is vast, so the basic ingredients, namely eggplants, are often replaced with what’s in season:
from pumpkin, to zucchini, to lasagna, or swiss chard like in this case.
In fact, for this recipe, I used large-stem swiss chard, specifically the lower part of the stem.
These must be boiled.

Thought for you:

Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • Difficulty: Very easy
  • Cost: Very cheap
  • Rest time: 1 Hour
  • Preparation time: 30 Minutes
  • Portions: 7
  • Cooking methods: Electric oven, Boiling, Air frying
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring, Summer
370.53 Kcal
calories per serving
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  • Energy 370.53 (Kcal)
  • Carbohydrates 26.31 (g) of which sugars 3.83 (g)
  • Proteins 24.84 (g)
  • Fat 20.14 (g) of which saturated 3.48 (g)of which unsaturated 4.08 (g)
  • Fibers 5.51 (g)
  • Sodium 1,148.97 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 300 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

Let’s shop

  • 3.3 lbs swiss chard (large-stemmed)
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 7 oz cooked ham
  • 7.75 oz Scamorza (provolone)
  • 3 cups tomato passata
  • 3.5 oz breadcrumbs (Sicilian seasoned, see recipe)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 0.7 oz Pecorino Romano
  • as needed parsley
  • as needed salt
  • as needed sugar
  • as needed pepper

Tools

What we need to make

  • 2 Pots one of which is small
  • round baking pan 12 inches or alternatively rectangular 14×8 inches
  • Pan

Preparation of Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style

  • Choose beautiful large-stem swiss chard, as shown in the photo.

    swiss chard
  • First, in a very wide and spacious pot, bring salted water to a boil, meanwhile, cut the bunch in half, and finally remove the final part.

    swiss chard
  • Detach the stems one by one and wash them thoroughly under running water.

    Swiss chard
  • Once the water is boiling, immerse the swiss chard stems and cover.

    Let it cook for 10 minutes, then drain and let cool.

    swiss chard
  • They usually need to drain for at least 1 hour, otherwise they retain a lot of water. But if you want to plan ahead, you can also boil them the day before.

    swiss chard
  • Boil the eggs, and meanwhile, in a non-stick pan, put a clove of garlic with its skin on, so it’s lighter.

    garlic
  • Add the tomato passata, a pinch of salt, and half a teaspoon of sugar, cover with a splatter guard, and let it cook for at least 15 minutes, then turn off, and season with raw oil.

    tomato sauce
  • In a bowl, prepare the Sicilian seasoned breadcrumbs, I make it by adding breadcrumbs, chopped garlic and parsley, grated Pecorino Romano, salt, and pepper. Follow my recipe click here.

  • Now let’s fill the parmigiana:

    In a baking pan you like best, rectangular or round, place a spoonful of seasoned breadcrumbs at the bottom, and place a layer of swiss chard.

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • Give another sprinkle of breadcrumbs

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • Spread slices of cooked ham,

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • Half of the hard-boiled eggs in pieces,

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • 1/3 of the provolone in pieces,

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • a few spoonfuls of sauce,

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • and a layer of swiss chard stems, continue layering until you have used up all the ingredients, but save a handful of provolone for the end.

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • Cover the entire parmigiana with the remaining sauce, and level it out.

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • Bake for 30/40 minutes at 355°F in a fan oven or 375°F in a static oven.

  • At the end of cooking, add the provolone you set aside on the sauce and turn off the oven.

  • With its heat, it will melt. At this point, take the parmigiana out and let it cool for at least 1 hour.

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style
  • Cut the portion only when it is cold at room temperature.

  • Here is the Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style ready

  • Preheat your appliance to 355°F, then start cooking for 30 minutes at 375°F.

  • At the end of cooking, add the provolone you set aside on the sauce, and complete for another 3 min. At 390°F.

    Here is the Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style ready

    Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style

storage

You can store the ready dish in the fridge for up to 3 days, it does not go in the freezer

Swiss Chard Parmigiana Sicilian Style

  • Can I make it lighter?

    Yes, you can skip the ham or eggs.

Author image

ritaamordicucina

The cooking blog Rita Amordicucina offers a wide range of recipes, with a particular focus on the cuisine of Northeastern Sicily and Messina. It specializes in fish recipes, pastries, and diet dishes, demonstrating how one can eat deliciously while maintaining a healthy weight. Its motto, "Do what you can with what you have, wherever you are," reflects its desire to teach cooking with limited resources. In addition to the blog, it has participated in television shows and food festivals.

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