When someone compliments my cooking, the family’s joint response is — Enjoy, she’ll never make it again. Can you blame me? So many recipes, so little time. However, there are exceptions. Here’s one.
Since in 2003 I got Tom Valenti’s book of One Pot Meals, this lasagna has been on our table at least once a year. And don’t be fooled by the name of the book, this is NOT a one-pot-meal. And it doesn’t matter.
What’s the draw? For one, spinach. As sugar addicts get their jitters from a dessert in sight, I get mine from anything green. And that addiction did get me in trouble when, at a tender age, I loaded up on tree leaves freshly sprayed with chemicals in the center of Moscow. Mom talked about the night that followed for a long time. Another draw — mushrooms. For me, with mushrooms anything goes. Anything. There’s one more. Not a fan of cured meats — go figure — somewhere deep down inside, I nurse a soft spot for soppressata.
The original recipe for this lasagna calls for 8×8” baking pan. Initially, I’ve expanded it to 9×13” Now, I am very good at doubling my expanded version. Of course this lasagna is excellent fresh out of the oven — those gooey stretchy strands of melting mozzarella. But I prefer it cold in the morning. It tastes like a fine sandwich, wrapped in foil with parchment or plastic wrap, it fits in the pocket, it is sturdy for on-the-go — mozzarella holds it firmly together under any circumstances. Yes, I’ve dropped it.
WHAT WENT IN:
In the brackets, there are numbers for 8×8″ version. The other numbers are mine for 9×13″ pan.
— lasagna sheets to cover your pan four times: this lasagna has a bottom layer of pasta, three layers of different fillings, and a top pasta layer. You decide how much you need. No boil ones are best.
— butter for the pan (the book calls for 1 Tbsp);
— 3/4-1 lb soppressata (1/4 lb in the book) VERY thinly sliced;
— 1 b mozzarella (6 oz in the book);
— 4 oz grated Parmesan (1/2 cup in the book).
MUSHROOM-CHEESE FILLING:
— 5 oz ricotta (in the book, it is 11/2 cup);
— 6 Tbsp olive oil (5 in the book);
— 1 tsp black pepper (the book calls for salt and pepper to taste);
— 1 tsp red pepper flakes (here, we agreed);
— 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (ditto);
— 2 lb mushrooms, like white button or Bella, sliced (in the book, 12 oz, cut into a small dice; isn’t biting into a squishy mushroom one of the best sensations ever? just saying);
— 2 Ib of baby spinach (1/2 Ib in the book — no comment)
THE PROCESS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter your lasagna pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 3 tbsp olive oil, and peppers. I do not add salt.
4. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and cook mushrooms. They will give out water, the water will evaporate. When the mushrooms brown, add garlic, swirl it in for about 30 seconds, and gradually add the spinach to wilt. Let cool a bit.
5. Combine ricotta mix and the mushroom one.
6. Assemble your lasagna: layer of noodles, layer of soppressata
7. 1/3 of what you have, layer of cheese-mushroom filling – 1/3 of it, layer of mozzarella – 1/4 of it, Parmesan – 1/4 of it.
8. Repeat twice more. You will finish with the layer of pasta with mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
9. Cover the lasagna with OILED — important! — piece of foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Uncover and bake for another 15 min.
11. Broil if the need be to the color of your liking – 2-3-5 min.
12. Let it rest to congeal a bit.