Baked Pork Chops with Swiss Chard

Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 1  pound  Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves washed and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 3  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• 4  pork chops, about 1 inch thick (about 2 pounds in all)
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  grated Parmesan
• 2  ounces  grated fontina (about 1/2 cup)

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 450°. Oil a 7 1/2-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss the Swiss chard with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Put the chard in the baking dish.

2. Rub the pork chops with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Put the pork chops on top of the Swiss chard. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon oil over the chard, around the pork chops. Sprinkle the Parmesan and fontina over the chard, around the chops. Bake until the chops are just done, about 18 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Swiss Chard: You can use either green or red Swiss chard for this dish. You'll want to rinse the leaves thoroughly before cooking, but don't dry them. The moisture will help keep the chard from drying out during cooking.

Wine Recommendation: Wines based on the sangiovese grape work particularly well with pork chops. Try a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, similar to Chianti but richer, earthier, and more powerful.