savory

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Prep the collard greens: trim the stem off each collard leaf. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add a couple of hefty pinches of salt. Working in batches of 3 or 4 at a time, add the collard leaves to the boiling water. Let them blanch in the water for one minute then carefully remove them and lay them flat on a clean kitchen towel to cool down. Repeat with the remaining collard leaves.

Make the filling: Add the olive oil to a large pan. Heat the pan over medium heat. Once it comes to temperature, add the shiitakes and a pinch each of salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook the shiitakes until they just start to soften and shrink (about 2 minutes), then add the pecans. Cook for 3-5 more minutes or until the pecans and shiitakes are beginning to turn golden brown. Turn your heat down to medium low then add the cooked rice, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the butter. Continue to stir the mixture to encourage the butter to melt and the rice to warm through. Once the butter has melted, remove the filling mixture from the heat and stir in the fennel fronds. Taste the filling and add more salt and crushed red pepper flakes as needed.

Assemble: Spoon the marinara sauce into a 2-quart baking dish. You want a thick layer that completely covers the bottom of the dish. To make the rolls, place a collard roll flat on a kitchen towel with the back side of the leaf facing you. For smaller leaves, you’ll spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling onto the bottom portion of the leaf. For larger leaves, you’ll use 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling. Once the filling is on the leaf, fold up the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then fold in the sides. Continue to roll from bottom up to the top (like you would a burrito) until you have your roll. Nestle the roll seam side down in the marinara sauce. Continue with the remaining leaves and filling.

Bake: Cover your baking dish with foil or parchment. Bake it in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the marinara sauce is bubbling. Cool slightly before serving. Garnish the rolls with extra chopped fennel fronds if you like.