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1
Butter an eight-cup souffle dish and dust it with the bread crumbs.
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2
Set aside.
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3
Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy skillet.
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4
Add half the chopped onion and saute over medium heat until it is soft but not brown.
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5
Add the garlic and stir, then add the Swiss chard.
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6
Stir-fry the mixture over high heat until the Swiss chard has wilted, about five minutes.
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7
Chop the mixture in a food processor until very fine.
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8
Add the ricotta, flour and egg yolk, and process until smooth.
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9
Stir in one-half teaspoon of the thyme.
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10
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
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11
(The souffle can be prepared ahead up to this point.)
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12
For the sauce, heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet and saute the remaining onion until it is soft but not brown.
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13
Stir in the tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture is thick.
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14
Add the remaining thyme, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
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15
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
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16
Beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks.
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17
Stir one-third of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, then fold the ricotta mixture into the remaining egg whites.
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18
Spoon the mixture into the dish.
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19
Bake 20 minutes.
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20
Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake about 25 minutes longer, until the souffle is puffed, lightly browned and firm.
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21
While the souffle is baking, reheat the tomato sauce.
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22
Serve at once, with the tomato sauce on the side.
