You know those days when you wish that dinner was already made and waiting on the table for you and your family? Why can’t we all have private chefs at our bidding? Sighhhh.
Well, my budget cure for this is the lasagna. You can make a whole lot at once, eat some right then, freeze some, and even make someone else’s day by giving some away to some nice deserving people who probably are daydreaming of having dinner already made and on the table for them and their family. (Please send all extra lasagnas to Tribeca c/o Cate.) Then, on that day when you’re feeling super lazy, you can pull out the leftovers, which will be delicious even if they’ve been sitting in your freezer for several weeks, and have a tasty meal all la ti da.
Our cooking class this week focused on a special version of lasagna that brings some of the exquisite flavors of Fall to the table. We made individual lasagnas in ramekins to take home and cook later and feasted on a large, class-sized lasagna together.
Fall Lasagne
*4 lbs squash or pumpkin, such as Acorn, Butternut, or Hubbard
*3 T. olive oil
*1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
*1/2 t. ground nutmeg (for the squash) + 1 1/2 t. (for the ricotta)
*2-3 T. fresh sage, finely chopped
*1 lb. ricotta
*1 egg, slightly beaten
*1 1/2 c. carrots, shredded
*12 no-boil lasagna noodles
*a large ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
*1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut your squashes in half.
Mini-Chef Time: Scoop out the seeds and stringy things with a large spoon. Place each squash halve cut side up on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the olive oil on the squash and then salt, pepper, cinnamon, and the 1/2 t. nutmeg. Using a basting brush or your hands, spread everything evenly out over the squash.
Big Person: Put the squash in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until soft and beginning to brown.
Mini-Chef: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg, the carrots, the 1 1/2 t. nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate till you’re ready to assemble the lasagna.
Butter a 13×9 inch lasagna pan.
When the squash has come out of the oven and cooled down a bit, scoop out the flesh into a big bowl.
Big Person: Puree the squash in the food processor or with an immersion blender.
Now, set out all of your ingredients in a line in this order: ricotta mixture, noodles, squash puree, sage, mozzarella, parmesan.
Mini-Chef: Scoop about 1 c. of the ricotta mixture into the lasagna pan and spread it out into a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of noodles on top, trying not to overlap any. Now it’s time for the squash layer. 1 c. of squash puree should cover your first layer of noodles, and then you’ll sprinkle a bit of the sage over the squash. More noodles to cover. Repeat the ricotta layer and the squash and the ricotta again. Mozzarella. Any sage you might have left over. Parmesan.
Into the oven and bake for 45 minutes-1 hour. The top should be golden brown. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
***You can double, triple, or grazuple this recipe.
