Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Manicotti

I have had this recipe for over 9 months now and just haven't felt quite inspired enough to make it.  However, after a few relaxing days in warm sunny Puerto Rico last week followed by a blustery cold snap back to reality, this manicotti dish felt oh so appropriate!  Not to mention, I am ready to jump back in the kitchen after having a full week off from cooking!  Sure was a pleasure/vacation in and of itself, not having to cook!  Don't get me wrong, I do love to cook, but anyone who does it for a family, knows that its not just a matter of throwing something edible into the microwave 15 minutes before the hungry mouths start crying!  "Cooking" actually is the final product of a sequence of many small events.   First comes the menu planning, then the grocery list, then the actual grocery shopping, followed by unloading the groceries and organizing the refrigerator (yes - this is an important step - you gotta see whatcha' got - and throw away what is sprouting legs and eyes and is about to talk back to you!)  Then as the week progresses, you are thawing, prepping, washing, chopping, marinating, and then of course, the actual cooking.  This is an art form I'll have you know!  One I love, but one I always will  welcome a small vacation from.  We never eat out and I mean NEVER, so this Puerto Rican vacation was all kinds of a vacation for me!
Back to the manicotti!  This recipe is from my girlfriend   kitchen crush Giada.  I watched her make it on her At Home show and have kept it in my collection since that day - knowing it would be perfect.......some wintery day in the future.  And  it was perfect last night!  Rich, creamy and cheesy, but perfect and healthy, thanks to the healthy green side salad.  I'm pretty sure that all the cheese and whipping cream out ranks the peas, onion, garlic and swiss chard in terms of qualifying for totally a "healthy" dinner dish, but its worth the splurge!       

Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Manicotti

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pan
• 12 manicotti or cannelloni pasta shells

Filling

• 1 head (about 12 ounces) red or white Swiss chard (I used Red)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I used two, one didn’t seem like enough)
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Fontina Fonduta Sauce

• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 cups (6 ounces) fontina cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) mozzarella, shredded
• Special Equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (recommended: Ateco #7) I actually used no tip at all and it worked great!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish liberally with butter.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

For the Filling:

Using kitchen scissors or a knife, remove the leaves from the stems of the chard. Discard the stems. Chop the leaves into 1-inch pieces. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the chard and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Place the ricotta cheese, peas, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cooled chard mixture and blend until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pastry bag and fill each manicotti shell with the filling. Place the stuffed manicotti in the prepared baking dish

For the Fontina Fonduta Sauce:

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring milk and cream to a simmer, over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add the fontina cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil.

Pour the sauce over the stuffed manicotti and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.