Saveur Cooks Authentic American - Editors Of Cook's Illustrated Magazine [23]
Vegetarian Lasagne
It’s the archetypal family meal, a layering of sauce, cheese, and pasta that is uncomplicated and appealing. This lasagne is a vegetarian take on classic lasagne bolognese. Here, meat’s savoriness is replaced with earthy shiitake mushrooms, and the noodles aren’t boiled before baking, so they still retain some of their bite when they come out of the oven.
12 tbsp. unsalted butter
12 sun-dried tomatoes
1 shallot, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
½ cup flour
5 cups milk
1 tsp. ground nutmeg Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
½ lb. spinach, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp. chopped oregano
1 tbsp. chopped rosemary
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
1 tbsp. tomato paste
5 cups whole canned tomatoes, crushed
1 lb. lasagna noodles
2½ cups grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
2½ cups grated fontina
Serves 6–8
1. Grease a deep 9 x 13-inch baking pan with 1 tbsp. butter; set aside. In a bowl, cover dried tomatoes with 1 cup boiling water; soak for about 20 minutes. Drain, chop, and set aside.
2. Make the béchamel sauce: Heat 8 tbsp. butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, bring to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thick, about 25 minutes. Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil and remaining butter in a 6-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms; cook, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Set the tomato sauce aside.
4. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spread 2 cups of the tomato sauce in the prepared baking dish. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup béchamel over top; sprinkle with ½ cup of each cheese and 2 cups tomato sauce. Repeat layering 2 more times. Top with the remaining noodles, tomato sauce, béchamel, and cheeses. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to a baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and raise oven heat to 500°F. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Pasta with Ragù
Tagliatelle alla Ragù Bolognese
This recipe for a hearty ragù, paired here with ribbons of tagliatelle pasta, came from Alessandra Spisni, who owns a cooking school in Bologna, Italy. Slow, low cooking thickens the sauce and marries the flavors of savory beef chuck and bright aromatics; making a double batch means that you can set aside some for use in a lasagne or another dish. Homemade pasta makes it all the more delicious; on the following pages, you’ll find instructions on how to roll out, cut, and cook your own tagliatelle.
½ cup butter
3 small yellow onions, minced
2 medium carrots, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
2 lbs. ground beef chuck
½ cup dry red wine
2¾ cups canned tomato purée Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lbs. fresh tagliatelle or fettuccine Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Serves 8
1. Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are somewhat softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the beef, and cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is broken up and just cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and 1½ cups water and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally,