• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Begin by removing the casing on the sausage and heating the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. 
  
• Add sweet sausage to the sauté pan and stir until fully cooked. Remove from the pan into a paper towel-lined bowl and set aside.

Swiss Chard Layer

• Add the chopped shallots to the sausage drippings in the pan and cook until softened and translucent. When the shallots are ready, add the Swiss Chard and cook until it is beginning to wilt; make sure you are stirring it along the way. 
  
• Add sliced garlic, lemon zest, and salt, then season with pepper. Stir until the Swiss chard is completely wilted, and add in the freshly squeezed lemon juice. 
  
• Strain and set aside in a bowl.

Creamy Béchamel Sauce

• Add the butter and stir with a deep saucepan on medium-high heat until melted. 
  
• Add the diced purple onion, coarse salt, and red pepper flakes, and stir until the onions are browned and translucent. 
• Slowly stir the flour and allow it to cook for about a minute. 
  
• Pour in the milk and bring it to a boil; remember to continually gently stir using a whisk. 
• Reduce to low heat and continue to simmer and stir until it is thick and creamy. Remove from heat.
  

Assemble The Lasagna

• Spray your pan with cooking spray if desired, and then begin the layers of pasta. Layer a 13″ lasagna pan or a Dutch oven, as shown here, starting with a single layer of creamy white sauce. Then, add a layer of noodles and a layer of the Italian sweet sausage, and top with the Swiss chard mixture. 
  
• Continue the layering process again, starting with the creamy bechamel sauce, then a sheet of pasta noodles, the last layer of meat, and then the Swiss chard mixture. 
• Use the last of your noodles and white sauce as the top layers, and sprinkle the Italian blend cheese evenly. 
  
• Bake until cheese is golden brown, about 45-50 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving, sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper and Parmigiano cheese, and enjoy!