The Flexitarian Cook

As college students in Paris twenty-five a few years ago, my friends and I used to go to a little Italian restaurant in the 6th arrondissement, on the rue Clément, called Le Golfe de Naples. The owner, Attilio, would serve us some cheap but seriously enjoyable food; I know that the restaurant still exists, but who owns it now and whether it’s still any good, I cannot say.  Back then, my favorite dish was the lasagna: layers of spinach-green pasta drenched in bolognese and béchamel sauces (a classic Italian recipe), covered in cheese and baked to golden perfection, this was always my go-to dish when I couldn’t (or did not want to) make up my mind. Attilio, that lasagna was simply wicked.

I still enjoy meat-filled lasagna, but with a vegetarian daughter in the house, that meal has become less of an option in recent years. Replacing the meat with something equally filling and satisfying, however, is not as much of a challenge as one might think (one knows who one is, doesn’t one?).  Mushrooms, when properly prepared, can be texturally and gustatorily as enjoyable as red meat, and certainly kinder on your cholesterol levels.

A mixture of baby bellas, shitake and oyster mushrooms

It was hard to resist eating those before the lasagna was ready to assemble!

Add spinach to those mushrooms, and you have the basis for a filling that is both healthy and delicious. To increase the bioavailability of iron in the spinach (that is, to make the iron easier to absorb by the body), it should be paired up with a food rich in vitamin C. As luck would have it, tomatoes are such a food, so the tomato sauce in your lasagna is both tasty and nutritionally sound. Party on! By the way, you should really make your own sauce for this (or any other dish, for that matter). It’s so simple there’s no reason not to: it takes time to cook (largely unattended) but the preparation time is virtually nonexistent, it tastes very fresh and is so basic it can be adapted to include just about anything you like. It’s worth making a double-batch when you are preparing pasta one night and putting the rest in the freezer for later. Of course, you can always use bottled sauce in a pinch, but do give this a try sometime; I promise it’s worth it.

Now, since you don’t want to ruin the benefits of switching from meat to vegetables for the filling, I also suggest using low-fat ricotta cheese in lieu of the béchamel sauce in the original recipe; it’s creamy and soft, and a perfect complement to spinach. Some shredded mozzarella to top it all off, and 45 minutes in the oven later: tutti a tavola!

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

9 to 12 curly lasagna sheets, boiled according to package directions, drained and rinsed (this prevents sticking)

2 large cans whole tomatoes (or 2 boxes Pomi tomatoes)

1 onion

2 Tbsp (30 g) butter

1 lb mushrooms (baby bellas or a mix)

3 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, chopped

Olive oil

1.5 lbs (750 g) chopped spinach (either fresh or frozen)

10 oz. (280 g) low-fat ricotta

2 cups (1/2 lb; 250 g) shredded mozzarella

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the tomato sauce:

In a dutch oven, place the tomatoes, butter and halved onion. Bring to a boil, cover, then lower heat so the sauce simmers for about 45 mn. Check occasionally and give it a stir to make sure the tomatoes are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.Remove and discard the onion, and with a potato masher or a fork, crush the tomatoes. Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, another 10mn or so. Make sure the sauce is not too watery since this would make your lasagna soggy. You can make this up to two days in advance.

Tomato goodness

For the filling:

Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until they begin to turn golden brown. Add parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and keep cooking 2 mn more. Set aside. Put the spinach in the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted and a bit dry. Mix with the mushrooms and set aside.

Assembling the lasagna:

Preheat oven to 350°. Put 1 cup of tomato sauce at the bottom of a 9×13 oven-safe dish.  Layer 3 or 4 sheets of lasagna side by side on top of the sauce. Place half of the spinach/mushroom mixture on top, and put dollops of ricotta (about 5 oz worth) on top of that, followed by a layer of tomato sauce. Repeat the lasagna/spinach/ricotta/sauce combination once more. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella on top of this second layer. For the final layer, place 3 sheets of lasagna on top of everything, what remains of your tomato sauce to cover the pasta, and finally, 1.5 cups of the mozzarella.

Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30mn. After this time, uncover, and bake for an additional 15 mn, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna rest for 10mn before cutting and serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Lasagn-ahhhhhh

Dinner!

Tags: lasagna, mushrooms, spinach, vegetarian

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