A Generous Meal: Modern Recipes for Dinner by Christine Flynn

Author:Christine Flynn [Flynn, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

Green Lasagna

Serves 6 to 8

My sister-in-law, Donna, is half Italian and has a lot of strong feelings about food and noodles, specifically. It has not been a difficult adjustment for me to get used to there being a pasta dish at every family dinner. It’s Christmas? Sure, pass me the penne with Bolognese sauce. Easter? How about some fresh cavatelli? Birthday? Cannelloni, of course! This mouthwatering, zucchini and pesto–loaded lasagna was a “side dish” at Thanksgiving a few years back, and as someone who has never really been a huge turkey fan, it took up a good deal of real estate on my plate. I’d never had a non-tomato-based lasagna before, but I was hooked. (Will you judge me if I tell you I had never even considered such a thing was possible?) Donna kindly parted with the recipe, which is actually from Italy and requires a lot of steps, including rolling your own pasta. If you are the sort of person who enjoys rolling your own pasta, you absolutely can, and you will probably enjoy it. Rolling out pasta is a task I only sometimes enjoy, so I opt to use boxed pasta here.

1 box (16 ounces/450 g) lasagna noodles

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Filling

2 pounds (900 g) green zucchini, grated

1 tablespoon (15 mL) salt, more to taste

Pinch of ground red chilies

1 small jar (6 ounces/170 g) herb pesto

Sauce

6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter

6 tablespoons (90 mL) all-purpose flour

5 cups (1.25 L) whole milk (3.25%), warm

Pinch of nutmeg

2 cups (500 mL) grated pecorino cheese

2 cups (500 mL) grated mozzarella cheese

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and cook to al dente according to package instructions, making sure to stir occasionally so the noodles don’t stick to each other or the bottom of the pot. Drain. Set the noodles on a clean baking sheet, brushing both sides with a little olive oil to keep them from drying out and sticking together. If you need to stack the noodles on top of each other, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers.

Prepare the Filling: Line a fine-mesh sieve or colander with cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel. Place the zucchini in the cheesecloth and sprinkle it with the salt. Using your hands, toss the zucchini. Set aside to drain while you prepare the sauce.

Make the Sauce: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it just starts to froth and bubble. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk vigorously to ensure that there are no lumps. Whisking continuously, cook the butter and flour mixture (it’s called a roux now) for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure it does not brown, until a thick paste forms. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and continue cooking and stirring until the sauce becomes thick and creamy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the nutmeg, pecorino, and mozzarella. Stir until the cheese melts.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

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