Vegetable lasagna

Carmen, author of Spearmint in the kitchen, brings us a recipe for one of the most classic vegetable lasagnas, based on spinach, ricotta, and a good dose of zucchini. The pasta should be fresh and homemade, and you’ll see...!!

Any time of year is a good time to enjoy a dish of fresh pasta, that's why today I bring you this lasagna vegetable with spinach and zucchini. Impossible to resist!

Until recently the fresh pasta It was on my to-do list: I was a bit intimidated by the idea of making it at home from scratch; it seemed incredibly complicated... but nothing could be further from the truth! Since I discovered how easy it is and the endless possibilities it offers for making it to our own taste, not a week goes by that I don't put my wonderful Imperia machine.

With it and with flour, eggs, and water, you can give free rein to your imagination and surprise even your most demanding guests—are you up for it? I’ll leave you with this lasagna, made with yolks instead of whole egg, which my daughter’s boyfriend recommended to me.… that's what happens when you're the mother-in-law of a head chef at an Italian restaurant.

Le Creuset Grinder, Le Creuset ceramic salad bowl, Gefu XL Set peeler and Bérard wooden board.

Ingredients

• 375gr bread flour
• 125gr of egg yolks (the yolks of approx. 5 eggs)
• 80gr of water
• 600gr of fried tomato sauce with onion, carrot, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar
• 300gr of spinach
• 400gr of ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• Basil
• 250gr of mozzarella cheese
• 2 zucchini
• Parmesan cheese
• Virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Emile Henry Baking Dish, Le Creuset grinder, Microplane Zester Grater and Imperia pasta machine.

Preparation

1. We add the flour beforehand sifted in a bowl In a well, add the egg yolks and water in the center and, using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour toward the center. Once all the ingredients are mixed, turn it out onto a surface and knead by hand until you get an elastic but firm dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. We can also use a food processor like the KitchenAid with the paddle attachment, add all the ingredients to the bowl and mix on low speed until all the ingredients are incorporated.
2. We take the dough out of the fridge and we cut into 3 portions to make the lamination easier. We roll the dough out a little with a roller and we pass it through the smooth slot of the machine on the widest setting, fold in half and repeat this operation a couple more times. Next, lower the setting by one notch and feed the dough through again, doing so with each pass until you reach the desired thickness. If the dough sticks during this process, dust the surface with flour. Leave to dry hanging while we repeat the process with the rest of the portions. Depending on the size of the dish, we cut into larger or smaller slabs.
3. In a bowl we add the spinach, previously sautéed in a frying pan with a tablespoon of virgin olive oil, the ricotta cheese and the eggs. We season with salt and pepper and stir until the whole Set is homogeneous.
4. We cut the zucchini into thin slices with a mandoline or a peeler, we salt and set aside.
5. We proceed to assemble the lasagna by putting a layer of tomato sauce, preferably homemade, at the bottom of the baking dish. We continue with a layer of our fresh lasagna; on top, we place another of the Set of spinach, ricotta, and eggs. Next, we add the zucchini slices and sprinkle with Parmesan. Place another layer of lasagna sheets; again add the spinach and ricotta mixture, the zucchini slices sprinkled with Parmesan... and so on until you finish the filling. Finish with a layer of lasagna sheets, which we will cover with tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella, previously coarsely grated, and finally sprinkle again with the Parmesan cheese grated.
6. Bake for about 35 minutes at 180º, or until the lasagna turns a nice golden color and the cheeses are well melted.

Emile Henry baking dish, Le Creuset grinder and Bérard wooden board.

This time, since the baking time is long, I haven't pre-cooked the pasta. I also haven't cooked the zucchini on the griddle because I sliced them very thinly, but if you like them cooked, you just need to give them a quick turn in the pan.

I hope you’re encouraged to make your own fresh homemade pasta; you’ll see you won’t regret it—a whole world of varied possibilities will open up before you.