Spring Vegetable Lasagna

Spring Vegetable Lasagna
I layer fresh pasta noodles, lots of fresh Spring vegetables, Italy's three favorite cheeses - ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan with just a bit of my Simple Tomato Sauce (recipe follows) for a hearty lasagna that is a treat to have without being overly decadent.

Serves 8

Ingredients

- 1 bunch (about 6 cups) fresh baby spinach, washed well, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large leek, diced
- 1 bunch spring onions or 1/2 white onion, diced
- 10 medium size asparagus, cut at an angle into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup artichokes hearts
(fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned and rinsed), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 recipes of Simple Tomato Sauce
- 12 sheets fresh lasagna noodles (you may substitute boiled lasagna noodles)
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
- salt
- fresh ground pepper

Place the spinach in a large pot and cook over medium heat with a lid until wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove the spinach from the pot and place in a colander to remove the excess water. Drain any water from the pot and then heat the olive oil in the pot over medium/low heat. Add the leek and onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the asparagus and artichoke hearts and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the drained spinach. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of fresh ground pepper. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagna, spoon about a 1/4 cup of the Simple Tomato Sauce into the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch casserole dish. Place down a layer of the lasagna noodles. Top the lasagna noodles with approximately 1/2 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture, then add a third of the vegetable mixture and about 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Top the mozzarella with approximately 1/2 cup of tomato sauce. Then top with another layer of the lasagna noodles and repeat the same process; the ricotta mixture, the veggie mixture, the mozzarella cheese and the tomato sauce; then the lasagna noodles, ricotta mixture, veggie mixture, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. Top with a final layer of lasagna noodles, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and a few tablespoons or so of Parmesan cheese. Bake the casserole at 375 degrees F on a lined baking sheet for about 40 minutes, or until the top is brown and the sides are bubbling. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.






Simple Tomato Sauce
This tomato sauce is extremely fast to make, and is perfect for this lasagna. I make this sauce for dishes in which I do not want the flavors of a tomato sauce to overpower the dish. I like this sauce tossed with pasta, however it may be a bit too basic for your taste. This simple sauce is perfect with cannellini beans, sautéed and roasted vegetables and makes a great pizza sauce.

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup diced white onion (about 1/2 an onion)
- 1 large clove garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Heat the olive oil in a medium size saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the can of chopped tomatoes and their juice to the pot and stir together. Season the tomatoes with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring the mixture to a slight boil and reduce to a simmer with a tight fitting lid. Let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and add the sugar. Use a hand blender (or food processor) to purée the mixture, leaving some of the tomato chunks. Taste for more salt and pepper.

Welcome Springtime

As much as I love butternut squash, root vegetables and kale, I can honestly say that I am excited and ready for fresh Spring produce - asparagus, artichokes, avocados, peas, fava beans, potatoes, carrots, strawberries...
Here is my first Spring menu - a taste of what is soon to come.

Menu
Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
Spring Vegetable Sauté served over Brown Rice
Sugar Dusted Strawberries (see 02.09.10 blog entry)





Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
This very simple salad is effortless to make and yet utterly elegant. I sometimes like to forgo serving the predictable green salad for one without salad greens, like this one. However, for a more traditional salad, I toss in tender butter leaf lettuce, which pairs wonderfully with the tangy grapefruit and buttery avocado.

Plated Salad

Salad Tossed with Butter Leaf Lettuce

Serves 4

Ingredients

- 2 large pink grapefruits
- 1/2 teaspoon agave or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium ripe avocados (preferably Hass avocados)

Use a sharp knife to cut the top and bottom off of the grapefruit. Place on a cutting board and cut downward to remove the skin. Use a sharp paring knife to cut out the grapefruit segments, slicing between the membranes. Work over a bowl to catch the juice. Set the segments aside. Place 1/4 cup of the grapefruit juice in a small bowl. Add the agave or honey, salt and fresh ground pepper. While whisking, add the extra virgin olive oil. Set the dressing aside.
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and peel off the outer peel. Cut the avocado into 1/2 slices and arrange on a medium size serving platter. Add the reserved grapefruit segments to the avocado. Drizzle with half of the dressing. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving. Add more dressing as desired.

Spring Vegetable Sauté served over Brown Rice
I found beautiful local Spring onions and green garlic at the store to go alongside some of my favorite veggies for this simple sauté. You can certainly substitute whatever seasonal veggies you can find at your farmer’s market or grocery store for this easy healthy dinner.


Serves 4

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 cups brown rice
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 spring onions or 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 green garlic stocks or 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 broccoli head, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 bunch Rainbow or Red Chard (about 10 cups), washed, chopped
- salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 1/3 cup pine nuts (optional)

In a medium saucepan combine the rice, water and 1teaspoon of salt. Bring to boil, stir once and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer with a lid for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes remove the pan from heat and let sit 10 minutes more.
In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and green garlic and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mixture on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion and garlic are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes more. Finally, add the cherry tomatoes and chard, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes more or until the chard is wilted and all of the vegetables are tender.
When the rice is finished cooking and has sat a full 10 minutes, fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper. To serve individual portions, scoop out a bit of rice and top with the hot vegetables. If desired, top each portion with a tablespoon or so of pine nuts.