White Lasagna with Asparagus, Spinach & Peas

This meatless lasagna was described as a showcase of spring vegetables. The filling was full of asparagus, peas, fresh herbs, greens, and leeks. It was loaded with cheese too, of course. 🙂

The recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I used no-boil noodles. I prepared it the day it was served but it could be prepared up to two days ahead. It can be assembled ahead of time and baked before serving or baked in advance and reheated before serving. Clark notes that the lasagna is easier to slice if it is baked and then reheated.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

For the Béchamel:

• 4 T unsalted butter (plus additional butter or cooking spray for greasing the pan)
• 1/3 cup (5 T) all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon fine sea, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced (I used a garlic press)

For the Filling:

• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), ends trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces if thin or 1/2-inch pieces if fat
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
• 1 cup combination of soft herbs (parsley, chives, basil, dill), finely chopped, plus more for garnish
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced into half moons and cleaned
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 8 ounces baby spinach or baby greens, like kale or arugula (about 8 cups), chopped if large
• 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
• 32 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 4 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
• 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 12 ounces dried lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles), or substitute the same amount of no-boil, oven-ready or fresh noodles; all will work
• 8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, thinly sliced or torn into pieces

To Prepare the Béchamel:

1. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
2. Once melted, add flour and whisk until combined. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until pale golden.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time, so that the sauce does not clump.
4. Add the salt, nutmeg and bay leaf. Gently bring to a simmer and let cook for 9 to 12 minutes, whisking often, until the béchamel is thick but still pourable.
5. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan and grated garlic, and taste, adding more salt if needed. (I used coarse salt.)

To Prepare the Filling & Complete the Dish:

1. Place a 12-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let it heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds, then add the asparagus and sauté, shaking the pan, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Season asparagus with salt and pepper, then transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the frozen peas and 2 tablespoons mixed soft herbs.
3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and heat until the oil thins out, about 30 seconds, then add the leeks, fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté leeks until tender and golden at the edges, 4 to 6 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and remaining herbs, working in batches if needed, and sauté until the greens are very tender and the pan is very dry, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Taste and add more salt if needed. It should be well seasoned.
6. Add leek-spinach-herb mixture to a large bowl. Stir in ricotta and 3/4 cup each Parmesan and pecorino (save remaining Parmesan for the top). Taste and add more salt if needed.
7. Heat oven to 400 degrees. (I set my oven to true convection.) Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or a little butter.
8. Remove bay leaf from béchamel, then ladle some of the sauce into the bottom of the baking pan until just covered.
9. Place as many noodles as will fit on top of the béchamel, breaking or cutting them to fit in one layer.
10. Ladle a little more béchamel on top of the noodles, covering the surface.
11. Add half of the ricotta-leek-spinach-herb mixture, spreading evenly, then sprinkle half of the asparagus-pea mixture on top.
12. Add another layer of noodles, then béchamel, then the remaining ricotta mixture, then the remaining asparagus-pea mixture.
13. Top with the sliced mozzarella.
14. Add a third and final layer of noodles (don’t worry if you don’t end up using all of the noodles) and cover with remaining béchamel.
15. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
16. Cover the pan with parchment paper and then foil; place on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.
17. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove parchment and foil. Rotate the pan.
18. Bake for another 30 minutes on convection or up to 40 minutes in a standard oven, or until golden brown and bubbling on top. Rotate the pan for even browning, if necessary. (If the top is still pale, you can run the lasagna under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes.)
19. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chili Crisp & Spinach

This is another rich pasta dish incorporating chili crisp. I must confess that my family preferred this one. My husband even declared that this dish was “restaurant quality.” 🙂

I added one tablespoon of chili crisp fearing that it would be too spicy otherwise, but, as the cream offset the heat, I think it could easily have incorporated the full amount for my crowd. Every brand varies in spiciness, so it is important to taste it and adjust the amount to your spice-tolerance.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Genevieve Ko. I used unsalted butter and added salt. I also included more spinach. Quick and delicious.

Yield: 6 servings

• salt
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 T chili crisp, plus more to taste and for serving (I used Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp)(see Tip)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound dried fettuccine
• 1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (2 1/4 ounces), plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. While the water heats, melt the butter with the chili crisp and a pinch or two of coarse salt in a very large skillet or Dutch oven over low heat. (Add chili crisp 1 tablespoon at a time.) (I used a large and wide enameled cast iron pan.)
3. Whisk in the cream; taste and adjust heat, if desired, by adding more chili crisp. Keep warm over low. (It should steam, not bubble.)
4. Cook the fettuccine until al dente according to the package directions. Use tongs to transfer the noodles to the cream mixture, reserving the pasta water.
5. Add the spinach and turn with tongs until the noodles are well coated.
6. Add the Parmesan and toss, still over low heat, until the noodles are slicked with a creamy sauce, adding a spoonful or two of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
7. Place in a serving bowl or divide among serving dishes; top with Parmesan.
8. Serve immediately. Additional chili crisp can be provided at the table, if desired.

Tip: For this dish, try to add more of the solids than the oil to the sauce for the most flavorful dish.

Ottolenghi’s Butternut Squash Lasagna Pie

This special pie was the perfect way to use my CSA butternut squash and the very last leaves of my homegrown basil. The incorporation of cumin and coriander seeds gave it a unique flavor profile. Fancy comfort food. 🙂

The recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Yotam Ottolenghi. Lovely.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

For the Pie:

• 4 T olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan (I used cooking oil spray on the pan)
• 10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 T cumin seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle
• 1 T coriander seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle
• 2 tsp Aleppo chile flakes
• 1 (9 to 12-ounce) jar red peppers, drained
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled, halved, deseeded and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (I used a mandoline to slice the squash)
• 8 ounces dried lasagna noodles, each roughly broken into 3 or 4 pieces (I used oven-ready no-boil lasagna)
• 7 ounces baby spinach (10 lightly packed cups)
• 1 packed cup basil leaves, torn in halves
• 1 cup crumbled Greek feta
• heaping 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

For the Béchamel:

• 3 T unsalted butter
• 5 T all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus more if needed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Grease a 9-inch springform cake pan then line it with a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the base and hang over the sides by a couple inches. (I used cooking oil spray.) Place pan on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
3. Add the oil to a small frying pan and heat over medium. Once it’s hot, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring until fragrant but not browned.
4. Add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander and chile flakes and cook for 1 minute more, stirring often, until deeply red. Set aside to cool slightly.
5. Add tomato paste mixture to a small food processor with the red peppers, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper; blitz until smooth. (I did this in 2 batches.)
6. Empty the mixture into a very large bowl and add the squash slices, lasagna pieces, spinach, basil, feta, Parmesan, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper. Use your hands to make sure everything is nicely coated.
7. Transfer this mixture to your lined cake pan, adding a third at a time and pressing lightly to ensure everything is even and compact.
8. Using heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap the cake pan all around until tightly sealed, place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.
9. Toward the last 15 minutes of baking time, make the béchamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking steadily, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it starts to smell like popcorn.
10. Slowly pour in the milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking with each addition until fully incorporated.
11. Add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use a spatula to stir and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to ensure the bottom doesn’t scorch, until nice and smooth.
12. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan. *If the pie isn’t done, cover the top with a piece of parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming. The béchamel is easier to handle when warm; if needed, reheat gently with a splash of milk to loosen.*
13. After the pie has cooked for 1 hour, remove it from the oven and carefully unwrap the top foil and paper, crinkling it down and around the sides of the pan to expose the top.
14. Spoon the béchamel on top, using a spatula to distribute it evenly over the surface. (Take care not to mix it with the base; you want the béchamel to remain white.)
15. Turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees, preferably on convection, and place the cake pan back on its baking sheet and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until nicely browned on top.
16. Set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
17. Carefully release the pie from the springform pan, loosening the outer ring then using the parchment to help lift it onto a serving plate or board. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Rigatoni Amatriciana

We may have a new favorite pasta dish in my house! I have already made this dish a couple of times. We didn’t even miss the garlic. 😉 It is an incredible version of the classic- a perfect weeknight dish.

The recipe was adapted from a Food and Wine “staff favorite” recipe, inspired by sommelier Arjav Ezekiel, co-owner of Birdie’s in Austin, contributed by Anna Theoktisto. We ate it with our favorite garlic bread and green salad, of course.

Yield: Serves 4 to 5

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium or large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 (4 oz) package chopped pancetta
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely shredded (about 2/3 cup), plus more for serving
• 3/4 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely shredded (about 1/4 cup), plus more for serving
• 2 T unsalted butter
• finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium. (I used a large enameled cast iron pan.)
2. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir in pancetta; cook, stirring often, until pancetta begins to render, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Stir in crushed red pepper.
5. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, crush tomatoes; add tomatoes and their juices to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, until flavors meld and mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.
6. Stir in salt. Remove from heat.
7. While sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add rigatoni, and cook according to package instructions for al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
8. Add rigatoni, 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino Romano, and butter to sauce in skillet.
9. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 2 minutes.
10. Remove from heat, and garnish with parsley. Serve with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano cheeses, as desired.

Stovetop Meatball Lasagna

This is a crowd-pleasing, lighter, stovetop upgrade to a classic lasagna. It was also less time consuming to prepare. I loved the brightness from the incorporation of fresh herbs.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Shilpa Uskokovic. I modified the method and added garlic. The grated zucchini and panko in the meatballs made them very tender. Fabulous!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 (5 in my house)

• 1 large zucchini (about 12 oz), finely grated (about 1½ cups)(I used a food processor)
• 1 1/2 cups panko
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp Diamond Crystal or 1 1/4 tsp Morton kosher salt, plus more, to taste
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dill, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 28 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh whole milk ricotta
• finely grated lemon zest from 1/2 a large lemon
• 10 oz lasagna noodles, broken into 2–3 pieces (do not use oven-ready noodles)(I used DeCecco)
• grated Parmesan, for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)

1. Using a sturdy wooden spoon or rubber spatula, vigorously stir grated zucchini, panko, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and kosher salt in a large bowl until combined and nearly paste-like. (I grated the zucchini medium-large because I used a food processor.)
2. Add ground chicken, chopped dill and parsley and mix until fully incorporated (you don’t need to worry about overmixing here; mixture will be soft). (I used a food processor to finely chop the fresh herbs.)
3. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium to medium-high. (I used a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven.)
4. Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out half of meat mixture (meatballs don’t need to be perfectly round; rustic-looking is good) and add directly to pot. (I did 2 batches of 8 meatballs.)
5. Cook, undisturbed, until well browned underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Carefully turn meatballs over and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes (it’s okay if meatballs still look misshapen).
7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large plate.
8. Pour an additional 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil into pot and repeat process with remaining meat mixture. (the remaining 8 meatballs)
9. Return all meatballs to pot, the add canned tomatoes with juice, lightly crushing with your hands as you go, sliced garlic and shallot, and remaining 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; season with salt.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook meatballs and sauce, gently stirring occasionally (it’s okay if meatballs start to fall apart), until sauce is slightly thickened, 15–20 minutes. (After stirring halfway through the cooking time, I reduced the heat to low.)
11. Meanwhile, whisk together ricotta, grated lemon zest, and a large pinch of salt in small bowl until smooth; set aside.
12. Cook broken lasagna noodles in large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente, about 3 minutes.
13. Using tongs, drop noodles into pot with sauce and cook, stirring gently, until sauce coats pasta.
14. Divide pasta among shallow bowls and spoon dollops of reserved lemony ricotta over each.
15. Top with dill and grated Parmesan, as desired. 

Do ahead: Meatballs and sauce can be made 3 days ahead; let cool. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill. Lemony ricotta can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Creamy Ricotta & Herb Pasta

This quick summer dish gobbled up the cilantro from my CSA share. The sauce was silky and fresh.

The recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I reduced the oil and modified the method. Next time I may add some lemon zest and/or toasted pine nuts. Easy and delicious!

• salt
• 1 pound short pasta, such as shells, cavatappi, chiocciole, farfalle, ditali or wagon wheels (I used cascatelli)
• about 12 ounces fresh, whole-milk ricotta (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 4 T (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 2 1/2 cups soft herbs, packed, such as cilantro, basil, chives, fennel fronds, parsley, mint, tarragon, chervil or dill (try for a combination of at least 3 kinds), coarsely chopped (I used a food processor)
• lemon zest, optional
• handful of toasted pine nuts, optional

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
2. In the same pot, make the sauce: Add ricotta, Parmesan, olive oil, pepper and a large pinch or two of coarse salt, and stir until well combined.
3. Add 1 cup pasta water to the sauce and stir until smooth.
4. Coarsely chop the herbs with a food processor, if desired. (I used 1 cup dill, 1 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1/4 cup basil.)
5. Add the cooked pasta and herbs, and continue to stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add more pasta water as needed for a smooth, soupy sauce. Taste and add more salt if needed.
6. Incorporate lemon zest and/or pine nuts, if using.
7. To serve, spoon the pasta into a serving bowl or individual bowls and finish with more Parmesan, drizzle of olive oil and more pepper, as desired.

Vietnamese-American Garlic Noodles

I’m a garlic girl but even I was worried that this dish was going to be so garlicky it may be overpowering. Nope. Twenty cloves!

This recipe was adapted from the cookbook “The Wok” by J. Kenji López-Alt, based on the noodle dish originally created and served by Helene An at San Francisco’s Thanh Long restaurant, via The New York Times.

Lopez-Alt uses the genius technique of cooking the pasta in a minimal amount of liquid which expedites the cooking process. The starch-concentrated pasta water is then used in the sauce. This dish was crazy quick to prepare and was absolutely packed with flavor. We ate it with roasted asparagus on the side.

Yield: Serves 4

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 20 medium garlic cloves, minced or smashed in a mortar and pestle
• 4 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce or shoyu
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 pound dry spaghetti or linguine fini
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (heaping 1/4 cup)(I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
•  small handful of thinly sliced scallions (I used 4 scallions)

1. Use a food processor to mince the garlic cloves, if desired. (I used a mini food processor.)
2. Melt the butter in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. (I used a stainless all-in-one pan.)
3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
5. Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a 12-​inch skillet or sauté pan over high heat. (Alternatively, heat up just enough water to cover the spaghetti in a large Dutch oven or saucepan.)
6. Add the pasta, stir a few times to make sure it’s not clumping, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente (about 2 minutes short of the recommended cook time on the package). (I used linguine fini and cooked it for a total of 4 minutes.)
7. Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the garlic sauce, along with whatever water clings to it. Reserve the pasta water in the skillet; set aside.
8. Increase the heat to high, add the cheese to the pasta and sauce, and stir with a wooden spatula or spoon, tossing vigorously until the sauce is creamy and emulsified, about 30 seconds. If the sauce looks too watery, let it keep reducing. If it looks greasy, splash some more pasta cooking water and let it re-​emulsify.
9. Stir in the scallions and serve immediately.