Spinach Lasagna With Mushroom Ragu

Name: Spinach Lasagna With Mushroom Ragu
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian, European
Ingredients: 227 grams asiago cheese, shredded; 3 bay leaves; 1 large carrot, finely chopped; 1 stalk celery, finely chopped; 28 grams dried porcini mushrooms; 2 larges eggs, lightly beaten; 59 milliliters chopped fresh parsley; 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 8 servings Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 340 grams dried lasagna noodles; 0 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg; 2 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 85 grams parmesan cheese, grated; 680 grams part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded; 2 portobello mushroom caps, chopped; 907 grams ricotta cheese; 680 grams shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, chopped; 454 grams frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry; 2 Tbsps tomato paste; 2 kilograms whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

The recipe Spinach Lasagna With Mushroom Ragu could satisfy your Mediterranean craving in approximately 4 hours. This recipe makes 8 servings with 879 calories, 61g of protein, and 45g of fat each. This recipe covers 51% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. If you have ricotta cheese, bay leaves, tomato paste, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. To use up the eggs you could follow this main course with the Rose Levy Beranbaum's Chocolate Tomato Cake with Mystery Ganache as a dessert.

Instructions

Make the ragu: Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup hot water until soft, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Chop; reserve the liquid.

Ingredients you will need

Mushrooms

Water

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Sieve

Bowl

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat.

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Olive Oil

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Pot

Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes.

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Tomato Paste

Carrot

Celery

Garlic

Onion

Add the portobello and shiitake mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, 5 more minutes.

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Shiitake Mushrooms

Mushrooms

Pepper

Salt

Add the porcini mushrooms; cook 2 minutes.

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Mushrooms

Add the reserved porcini liquid, bring to a boil and cook until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups water and the bay leaves; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the parsley and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring a few times, until thick, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. (You can make the ragu up to 1 day ahead; let cool, then cover and chill. Reheat before using.)

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Bay Leaves

Tomato

Parsley

Juice

Water

Salt

Mix the parmesan, mozzarella and asiago; set 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture aside.

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Mozzarella

Asiago Cheese

Cheese

Combine the remaining cheese mixture in a large bowl with the ricotta, eggs, spinach, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

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Ricotta Cheese

Spinach

Cheese

Nutmeg

Egg

Salt

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Bowl

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

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Water

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Oven

Pot

Add the noodles and cook as the label directs.

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Pasta

Drain and rinse under cold water; shake off the excess water.

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Shake

Water

Spread 1 cup of the ragu in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

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Spread

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Baking Pan

Add a layer of noodles, then half of the spinach mixture and 2 cups ragu. Repeat with another layer of noodles, spinach mixture and ragu. Top with the remaining noodles and ragu and sprinkle with the reserved cheese. Cover with foil, place on a baking sheet and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 25 more minutes.

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Pasta

Spinach

Cheese

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Oven

Aluminum Foil

Let rest before serving.

Photograph by Anna Williams

Equipment

Recommended wine: Chianti, Trebbiano, Verdicchio

Chianti, Trebbiano, and Verdicchio are great choices for Italian. Italians know food and they know wine. Trebbiano and Verdicchio are Italian white wines that pair well with fish and white meat, while Chianti is a great Italian red for heavier, bolder dishes. The Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico ( Half-bottle) with a 4.2 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 13 dollars per bottle.