Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (97 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
We wanted a vegetable lasagna with tender, flavorful vegetables, great cheese flavor, and a light tomato sauce. To start, we zeroed in on our choice of vegetables and settled on eggplant and zucchini. Roasting the vegetables intensified their flavor and rid them of excess moisture. We skipped the usual ricotta and instead turned to mozzarella which melted into gooey layers—Parmesan added another layer of flavor. And a quick tomato sauce bound together the layers with a minimum of fuss.
SERVES 8 TO 10
Note that some pasta brands contain only 12 no-boil noodles per package; this recipe requires 15 noodles. Smoked mozzarella, Gruyère, or fontina can be substituted for the mozzarella and Pecorino Romano for the Parmesan.
1 | pound zucchini, cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | pound eggplant, cut into ¹⁄ |
5 | tablespoons olive oil |
6 | garlic cloves, minced |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley |
Water | |
15 | no-boil lasagna noodles |
1 | pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (4 cups) |
2¹⁄ | ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1¹⁄ |
1.
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease two rimmed baking sheets. Toss zucchini and eggplant with 3 tablespoons oil, two-thirds of garlic, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon pepper and spread onto prepared sheets. Roast until vegetables are golden brown, about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting; set aside to cool.
2.
While vegetables roast, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, bring to simmer, and cook until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer sauce to large measuring cup and add enough water to make 3¹⁄
2
cups.
3.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Pour 2 inches boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Slip noodles into water, 1 at a time, and soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water. Dry dish and spray with vegetable oil spray.
4.
Spread ¹⁄
2
cup sauce evenly over bottom of prepared dish. Arrange 3 noodles in single layer on top of sauce. Spread ³⁄
4
cup roasted vegetables evenly over noodles. Spoon ¹⁄
2
cup sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with ³⁄
4
cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Repeat layering of noodles, vegetables, sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan 3 more times. For final layer, arrange remaining 3 noodles on top and cover completely with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and remaining ¹⁄
4
cup Parmesan.
5.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with oil spray and bake until edges are just bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Remove foil and continue to bake until top turns spotty brown, about 15 minutes longer. Cool lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.
PARMESAN VS. PECORINO ROMANO
While Parmesan is a cow’s milk cheese, Pecorino is made from sheep’s milk but the two do have a similar texture and flavor and often you’ll see one as an alternative to the other in recipes. We have found that Parmesan and Pecorino Romano can generally be used interchangeably, especially when the amount called for is moderate. However, when Parmesan is called for in larger quantities as it is in some recipes, it is best to stick with the Parmesan, as Pecorino Romano can be fairly pungent.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For a complex vegetable lasagna with bold flavor, we started with a summery mix of zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant, salting and microwaving the eggplant and sautéing the vegetables to cut down on excess moisture and deepen their flavor. Garlic and spinach and olives added textural contrast and flavor without much work. We dialed up the usual cheese filling by switching mild-mannered ricotta for tangy cottage cheese mixed with heavy cream for richness and Parmesan and garlic for added flavor. Our creamy, quick no-cook tomato sauce brought enough moisture to our lasagna that we found that we could skip the usual step of soaking the no-boil noodles before assembling the dish.
SERVES 8 TO 10
Part-skim mozzarella can also be used in this recipe, but avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt well. We prefer kosher salt because it clings best to the eggplant. If using table salt, reduce salt amounts by half. To make assembly easier, the roasted vegetable filling can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to a day.
TOMATO SAUCE
1 | (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes |
¹⁄ | cup minced fresh basil |
2 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon kosher salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
CREAM SAUCE
8 | ounces (1 cup) whole-milk cottage cheese |
1 | cup heavy cream |
4 | ounces Parmesan, grated (2 cups) |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon cornstarch |
¹⁄ | teaspoon kosher salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
VEGETABLE FILLING
1¹⁄ | pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into ¹⁄ |
Kosher salt and pepper | |
1 | pound zucchini, cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | pound yellow squash, cut into ¹⁄ |
5 | tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil |
4 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh thyme |
12 | ounces baby spinach (12 cups) |
¹⁄ | cup pitted kalamata olives, minced |
12 | ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 cups) |
12 | no-boil lasagna noodles |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh basil |
1. FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.
2. FOR THE CREAM SAUCE:
Whisk all ingredients together in separate bowl; set aside.
3. FOR THE FILLING:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Line surface of large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over coffee filters; wipe out and reserve bowl. Microwave eggplant, uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking. Cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and summer squash.
4.
Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of eggplant mixture, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add half of garlic mixture, and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant mixture, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining garlic mixture; transfer to bowl.
5.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towel–lined plate and drain for 2 minutes. Stir into eggplant mixture.
6.
Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over bottom of dish. Arrange 4 noodles on top of sauce (noodles will overlap). Spread half of vegetable mixture over noodles, followed by half of olives. Spoon half of cream sauce over top and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 1 cup tomato sauce, remaining vegetables, remaining olives, remaining cream sauce and 1 cup more mozzarella. For final layer, arrange remaining 4 noodles on top and cover completely with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
7.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with oil spray and bake until edges are just bubbling, about 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Cool lasagna for 25 minutes, then sprinkle with basil and serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
We preferred cottage cheese to ricotta in our spinach lasagna recipe, for the extra tang and creaminess it lent to the dish. We found other components useful as well: no-boil noodles that we soaked in hot tap water for five minutes to soften and blanched spinach from which we wrung out all excess water. Our resulting spinach lasagna recipe was a simple success: fresh, green spinach highlighted by a delicate, savory sauce; tender noodles; and mild, creamy cheese.
SERVES 8 TO 10
Italian fontina works best in this dish. If it is not available, substitute whole-milk mozzarella. If your lasagna dish is not broiler-safe, brown the lasagna at 500 degrees for about 10 minutes.
SAUCE
Salt | |
1¹⁄ | pounds curly-leaf spinach, stemmed |
5 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
4 | large shallots, minced |
4 | garlic cloves, minced |
¹⁄ | cup all-purpose flour |
3¹⁄ | cups whole milk |
2 | bay leaves |
³⁄ | teaspoon ground nutmeg |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
1 | ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¹⁄ |
CHEESE FILLING
8 | ounces (1 cup) whole-milk cottage cheese |
1 | large egg |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
2 | ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup) |
8 | ounces Italian fontina cheese, shredded (2 cups) |
12 | no-boil lasagna noodles |
1. FOR THE SAUCE:
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Fill large bowl with ice water. Add spinach and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often until spinach is just wilted, about 5 seconds. Remove spinach with slotted spoon, transfer to ice water, and soak until completely cool, about 1 minute; drain spinach and transfer to clean kitchen towel. Wrap towel tightly around spinach to form ball and wring until dry. Chop spinach and set aside.
2.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until shallots are softened, about 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 1¹⁄
2
minutes; mixture should not brown. Gradually whisk in milk; increase heat to medium high and bring to boil, whisking often. Stir in bay leaves, nutmeg, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt, and pepper, reduce heat to low, and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves, then whisk in Parmesan until completely melted. Measure out and reserve ¹⁄
2
cup sauce in small bowl; press plastic wrap directly against surface, and set aside. Transfer remaining sauce to separate bowl and stir in chopped spinach, mixing well to break up any clumps; press plastic directly against surface, and set aside.
3. FOR THE CHEESE FILLING:
Process cottage cheese, egg, and salt in food processor until very smooth, about 30 seconds.
4.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 2 inches boiling water into 13 by 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Slip noodles into water, 1 at a time, and soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water. Dry and grease dish.
5.
Spread reserved ¹⁄
2
cup sauce evenly over bottom of prepared dish. Arrange 3 noodles in single layer on top of sauce. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over noodles, sprinkle with Parmesan, and top with 3 more noodles. Spread 1 cup more spinach mixture evenly over top, sprinkle with 1 cup fontina, and top with 3 more noodles. Spread 1 cup spinach mixture evenly over top, followed by cottage cheese mixture. For final layer, arrange remaining 3 noodles on top and cover with remaining spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup fontina.
6.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray and bake until edges are just bubbling, about 20 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Remove dish from oven and remove foil. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Broil lasagna until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in sauce in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped, and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove prosciutto with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel–lined plate; set aside. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to fat left in saucepan and melt over medium heat before adding shallots and garlic in step 2. Sprinkle crisp prosciutto over cottage cheese mixture while assembling lasagna.
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 8 ounces trimmed and thinly sliced white mushrooms and cook until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to bowl. Sprinkle softened mushrooms over cottage cheese mixture while assembling lasagna.
