Inspired Lasagna (GF, nut free)

I've titled this blog entry "inspired" as the universe was poking at me today in an effort, I believe, to get me to make something Italian for dinner. I was up in the middle of the night last night and came across this delicious looking Italian chicken dish via Pinterest, which originated at the blog Our Story. That was the first inkling. Then,  I read my friend Deborah Sissions blog entry at Messy Cooker where she made spaghetti for 15 people, including noodles from scratch. Goodness, I have one of those attachments for my Kitchen Aid, but have not attempted anything so daunting. Kudos to her for both the number of people she fed and for not going to box noodle route. Finally, this afternoon I enjoyed a little me time and watched two of my favorite cooking shows. Bobby Dean's new show Not My Mama's Meals was dedicated to lightening up his mother's lasagna (and if you saw the calorie count for both a slice of his mama's lasagna and her dessert, you'd nearly choke; all I could say was "wow"). Bobby's recipe included a few things I adapted in my version: 1) a 90/10 ground beef for the meat, and 2) he incorporated mushrooms into the red sauce, along with the beef, to get a more meaty texture with fewer calories. Next, I tuned into America's Test Kitchen to watch Christopher Kimball and staff make a very tasty looking vegetarian lasagna that featured zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant. I found a non-AMT copy of it for you so have provided the link. I learned a few things from watching ATK as well:  1) use two types of "sauce" in your lasagna - a traditional tomato sauce and a alfredo like white sauce, and 2) cook your veggies before assembling the casserole layers.

With so many instances in a 24 hour period, I called "uncle" to the universe and accepted it as divine inspiration that my family was going to have something Italian for dinner. After a quick trip to the store to gather a few ingredients that I didn't already have on hand, I was ready to start. 

I've outlined everything below in case you want to recreate my version. I have to say that this is probably the best lasagna I've ever made. I've tried many, many different approaches to lasagna over the years, but the mushroom/beef mixture was really meaty and good, while the alfredo and veggie mixture added a creaminess you don't get from the traditional ricotta filling. Finally, when the red sauce and the alfredo come together as you cut through the layers on your plate, the coupling is pretty darn good. Yep, for me, this one is a keeper. It doesn't mean I won't try my hand at other lasagna recipes in the future, but when we want something hearty and satisfying, this will be my go to recipe for sure!

~Enjoy


Inspired Lasagna

The Red Sauce

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 carton sliced white button mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 large red onion, medium dice
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil 
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
• 2 tbsp dried parsley, crushed in your hand to release flavor
• 1 tsp dried marjoram, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp minced garlic, I use the jar type (I know, I know)
• a good size pinch of kosher salt
• pepper to taste
• EVOO

The White Sauce & Veggie Layer

• 1 small container (8 oz or so) Buitoni alfredo sauce
• 3 cups zucchini, small dice
• 2 cups matchstick carrots
• salt and pepper to taste
• EVOO

Between the Layers:

• Gluten free lasagna noodles, I use De Boles rice noodles
• 1 16 oz block of part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 4 oz of grated parmesan

Pre-heat oven to 350. Place a 5 quart dutch oven over medium heat and add enough EVOO to skim the pan. Add the onion and mushroom and stir. Allow mushroom/onion mixture to cook until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add the dried herbs and garlic to the pan and stir. Allow garlic to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to keep it from burning. Add the ground beef to the pan along with the salt and pepper. Break up the meat with your cooking spoon and stir frequently to ensure all pieces are cooked through. Add both cans of tomatoes to the pan and stir to incorporate. Turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer while you cook and assemble the vegetable layer.

Place a medium large skillet over medium heat and skim with EVOO. When the oil shimmers, add the zucchini and carrots. Stir to ensure all are covered with the oil and allow to cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft. Add salt and pepper and remove from heat. Place the alfredo sauce in a medium heat proof bowl and stir in the cooked vegetables being careful to cover all of the vegetable pieces with the sauce.

Spray or brush a 13x9 glass casserole dish with EVOO or cooking oil of your choice. Ladle in enough of the mushroom/meat sauce to cover the bottom of the dish with appx 1/2 inch of sauce (you will need the moisture to cook the noodles). Layer with 3 lasagna noodles running the length of the pan. You will have space left at the end of each row of noodle. Break one more lasagna noodle into thirds and use each piece of broken noodle to complete the row so that all of the noodles reach from one end of the pan to the next. You will see that there's a bit of space between the rows of noodles. I used to worry about this and fret over layering my noodles from top to bottom, side to side, but have found that the dish is just as yummy, with a few less calories, if I use a minimum of noodles. So, I make two noodle layers and don't sweat the small amount of space between them. Top the first noodle layer with a few more ladles of red sauce to ensure even coverage.

Next, place the veggie alfredo layer on top of the meat and mushroom sauce, spreading the veggie mixture evenly to cover the entire pan. Top with the second layer of lasagna noodles using the same technique as above. I do try to alternate the end with the broken pieces of lasagna for stability, so if the first layer lays from left to right with the broken noodles on the right, I alternate the next noodle layer so that the broken noodles are on the left. This helps, I think, with stability. Top the second layer of noodles with enough red sauce to fully cover them.

You are now ready to bake your lasagna. Cover the casserole with foil and place in the middle of the preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. When the time is up, remove the pan from the oven and the foil from the pan. Sprinkle the final layer of cheese on the top of the casserole and return it to the oven for 5-8 minutes until the cheese is melted. 

Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 to 30 minutes. I find that if I begin serving the lasagna lengthwise, rather than cutting it across the short end of the pan, I have less mess and the whole thing stays together a bit better so future servings are as yummy as the first ones from the pan.

Serve with a green salad and red wine of your choice.