That title is a mouthful. Just a warning, while the basis of this recipe is healthy, and it is whole food, it is definitely not low calorie. We're dealing with a lot of cheese here. But, wow...is it ever tasty.
I'm slipping into a Cabernet-and-pasta coma as I type, so let's get into why this hearty dish is a good idea:
Tomatoes, especially when cooked, are genuinely stupid good for you. Honestly, it's too many nutrients to list here, I'd encourage you to click the link. Cooked tomatoes are also very rich in an extremely potent antioxidant called Lycopene. Most nutritionists will tell you that you should be eating a meal with cooked tomato sauce at least once a week (you better believe I do, but mostly because it's freaking delicious).
Mushrooms are in the same vein as tomatoes in terms of nutritional richness and diversity. They have protein, several B vitamins and every essential mineral (except calcium).
Red Wine, in addition to being very tasty, contains a chemical compound called Resveratrol which is being touted as an anti-aging miracle by emerging research. Effects such as cancer prevention, anti-inflammation, lower blood sugar and life extension have been observed in animal test subjects who were treated with it. Could be the next big thing.
Cauliflower...ah, so hated, so mistreated. Poor thing. Fortunately, I've got a few tricks that will make you love this uber nutritious veggie you may have hated as a kid. Cauliflower is particularly rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, B6, Folate, every essential mineral, and of course fiber.
Now, I could brag about the fresh herbs and the olive oil, but I think this justification has gone on long enough. Let's cook!
This recipe will make two servings (plus two additional servings of lasagna for leftovers):
6 lasagna noodle sheets
1 cup organic tomato puree
5 cloves of garlic
6 cremini mushroom caps
4 oz. top sirloin steak
3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 shallot (red onion works too, I just used mine up on that tandoori chicken marinade)
1/2 lb. cauliflower florets
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
6 slices (1/5 lb.) of extra sharp provolone cheese
Couple good glugs of red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped sage (this is optional, I'm just trying to use it up, and it works here)
To taste salt, pepper, red pepper, coriander, whatever you like
Prep, prep and more prep. Mince your garlic and shallot, slice your mushrooms, oil and season your cauliflower florets and set them aside on a baking sheet. Put a large pot of water on to boil and get a medium sauce pot on medium low heat, little oil in the bottom.
In that medium sauce pot, add the shallot, then most of the garlic (you're saving some for the ricotta). Sweat that a bit, then add your mushrooms. Mushrooms like to suck up all the liquid in a pan, so if you need more oil, add it. Don't salt them, but you can add pepper, coriander, whatever else you would like while they brown.
While those work, you can slice your steak and prepare the ricotta. Slice that steak as thin as you can get it, carpaccio style, the roll it around in some salt, pepper and whatever else you see fit. Set it aside.
In a bowl, work your ricotta, 1/4 cup of the parmigiano, a little bit of those herbs and the rest of the garlic together with a fork, set it aside.
Now your mushrooms should be good and brown. Go ahead and add a glug or two of that wine and crank the heat. You need it to reduce to a syrupy consistency. When that happens, add your tomato puree, the rest of your herbs, a little fresh olive oil and kill the heat.
Briefly boil your lasagna sheets in that water (I salted my water first), drain them and immediately separate them.
Assembly time! Get yourself a 9x9 baking pan (preferably glass). Sauce on the bottom, two sheets, ricotta, steak, sauce, provolone, two sheets, ricotta, steak, sauce, two sheets, sauce, provolone on top. Now, is there a method to my madness? Nope! You can put this together however you'd like. That was just what I did, purely by chance.
Put that in a 400° oven. In fact, put your cauliflower in there too. The lasagna gets 15-20 minutes (until the cheese browns). After that, take it out and let it cool before you cut into it, you'll regret it if you don't. When you take the lasagna out, take the cauliflower out as well. Turn the florets, baste them with the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle the remaining parimigiano cheese on top. Set them back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes.
And hey, your lasagna is adequately cooled when your cauliflower is perfectly roasted! Love that timing.
To plate, pop yourself out a nice slice of that lasagna, spoon your cauliflower right up next to it and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top it it all, if you like.
Tomorrow, we're globetrotting over to Thailand. Do come back.
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