You know dinner is a huge success when you serve it up and no one is talking. Last week, I made Ottolenghi’s Lasagne from his new book Flavour, and not only was my family not talking, but I could hear them swooning! My son especially, a dedicated carnivore, actually said, “Mom this is better than the meat version.”
I wanted to try this recipe the minute I read about it. My husband loves mushrooms, and I am always looking for vegetarian meal options. Since that night, I’ve made it again, and am already thinking about when to make it next. The umami flavor imparted by the roasted mushrooms, combined with the chilis and just a small amount of cheese is the perfect combination for a hearty meal, especially during these cold months.
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Paired with a simple green salad, this lasagne is a perfect, cozy winter dinner.
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Although the recipe looks daunting, it’s certainly manageable. Just don’t wait until the last minute to gather your ingredients. A food processor really helps but chopping by hand is also an alternative. The original recipe calls for no-boil noodles, however I did boil mine for 4 minutes, as it turns out much better. Otherwise, the uncooked noodle absorbs too much of the delicious sauce and the lasagne may be dry. (This advice coming directly from my Italian friend straight from Milan, and she was right).
The brand I use is Barilla, found in most grocery stores or online here. They are especially thin and so it’s a great balance to the ragu, and you don’t feel like you’ve overloaded on carbs. Be sure to add salt and a splash of olive oil to the boiling water to prevent sticking.
The best part about this recipe – a great excuse to open up a delicious bottle of red -specifically a full body Cabernet, which I eagerly did as soon as I put the lasagne in the oven to bake. After all that work, I certainly deserve that glass of wine!
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
- 2 dried red chilis, coarsely chopped and seeds removed
- 2 1/2 oz dried mushrooms ( I used morels but any variety works)
- 2 C hot vegetable stock
- 2 1/4 lbs fresh mushroom (any variety will do but I like cremini, shiitake and oyster)
- 6 T olive oil, plus extra for the dish
2 1/2 t kosher or sea salt - 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 3 roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1/3 C tomato paste
- 1/2 C heavy cream, milk or vegan substitute
- 3 1/4 C water
- 1-2 t fish or soy sauce (optional)
- 2 oz. grated parmesan
- 2 oz grated Pecorino Romano
- 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley plus 1t for garnish
- 1/4 C chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper
- 8-9 oz no-boil lasagne noodles, preferably Barillo
Instructions
- Prepare the dried mushrooms and chilis. Put the dried mushrooms in a medium heat-proof bowl and the chilis in a separate small bowl. Pour enough hot stock to cover each. Let both stand 30 minutes until soft. Set a strainer over a large measuring cup (or bowl) and strain the mushrooms, squeezing out as much moisture as you can. Strain the chilis the same way, into the same measuring cup. Chop the mushrooms and chilis (separately) by hand and put them back into the empty bowl. Set both the liquid and chopped items aside. The liquid should be about 1 1/2 Cups. If not, add extra water.
- Ragu: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set a rack on the top third. Clean the fresh mushrooms gently with a dish towel. In a few batches at a time, chop them in a food processor (or by hand) until they are finely chopped (see photo). Spread them on a baking sheet. (Do not clean your food processor yet). Drizzle the mushrooms with 3T olive oil and 1t salt. Toss with your hands and spread to one single layer. Place in oven, on the top rack, to roast, stirring the mushrooms 3 times during baking, until dark and well-browned, approx. 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, carrot and garlic together in the food processor (or by hand). Set aside. Chop tomatoes the same way. Set aside in a separate bowl
- Heat 4T olive oil in a dutch oven or high sided skillet over medium high heat. Add the carrot/onion and garlic mixture and stir frequently until they are soft and beginning to brown, 6-7 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste a 1t salt and 1 1/2t fresh pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rehydrated chopped mushrooms and chilis, as well as the oven roasted mushrooms and continue to cook until the mixture starts to brown on the bottom. Approximately 8-9 minutes. Try not to be tempted to stir this, as the browning on the bottom helps create that umami rich flavor.
- Stir in the reserved stock and water and stir occasionally until it is a thick ragu, about 25 minutes. Add 1/2 C cream or milk (optional) and cook for two more minutes. Remove and cool. Season with soy or fish sauce.
- To assemble the lasagne being a large pot of water to boil for the noodles. Add a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil to prevent sticking. Spread a 12 x 8 dish with olive oil, or any similar sized dish, with 2” high sides (or more).
- In a bowl, combine the both cheeses with the parsley and basil.
- Boil the noodles for about 4 minutes (even if they are no-boil noodles I still recommend not skipping this step). Lay them on a towel. I boiled them in batches while assembling the lasagne.
- Spread one-fifth of the ragu on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle one-fifth of the cheese mixture, Place a layer of the noodles, overlapping a bit and cutting them to fill any gaps. Repeat the process, ending with the cheese layer. Depending on the size of your dish you will have 4 layers of noodles, but when I used a different dish I had 3 and it was still delicious.
- Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top (the original recipe asks for cream too but I don’t think it’s necessary), cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil, increase the heat to 450 and bake for another 12 minutes, rotating the pan mid-way.
- Last, turn on the broiler and cook until the top is browned, about 2 minutes. Set your timer as you don’t want to forget.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese, a good grind of pepper and remaining parsley.
Enjoy!
Can’t wait to make it! Looks amazing!
i was lucky enough to devour this last week and still dreaming about it. ❤❤❤
This looks delish, Polly! Perfect for cold-weather dinners!
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The best for a cold night!
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Thanks Fran!
Merci
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Je vous adore!
You are inspiring me. Making my grocery list!
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Thank you Melanie. The picture you posted looked delicious!
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try.
I have a question about your glasses…. You kindly shared with me a while back about your Ralph Lauren champagne saucers and
I just love them! Can you tell me where your wine and water glasses are from in this photo? I love the look of them!
Sincerely,
Kim
Author
Hi Kim,
The glasses with the stems are astier de villatte. I bought them in a little store in Sag Harbor called Bloom. There is also a website that sells their gorgeous products http://www.astierdevillatte.com Hope this helps!
Thank you! It’s so nice that you always reply! I appreciate it.
Love your website and all your recipes!
Sincerely,
Kim
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try.
I have a question about your glasses…. You kindly shared with me a while back about your Ralph Lauren champagne saucers and
I just love them! Can you tell me where your wine and water glasses are from in this photo? They are great!
Sincerely,
Kim
Author
Hi Kim,
The glasses with the stems are astier de villatte. I bought them in a little store in Sag Harbor called Bloom. There is also a website that sells their gorgeous products http://www.astierdevillatte.com Hope this helps!
Turned out so well, Polly! I eliminated the red chilis so that it wasn’t spicy but the flavors were rich and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!