If Tuesday is ravioli, then why shouldn’t it be lasagna every Monday? Generous with her stringy cheese which would seduce the taste buds of any gourmand, this Italian specialty is THE comforting dish par excellence! As soon as you feel sluggish, it’s the ideal pick-me-up. The great thing is that this dish has more or less infinite variations and it is very easy to adapt it according to your current desires.
In order to surprise the household, the culinary content creator known under the pseudonym Whoogy’s presents us with his version of green lasagna. If the name may surprise you, in reality, it is a revisit of the recipe with spinach and ricotta, but with a visual and a taste that may surprise you. Rest assured, all the ingredients that make lasagna an exquisite dish are there: stringy cheese, creaminess, pasta… So for all epicureans eager to discover new flavors, get behind the stove!
An ultra generous and friendly recipe ideal for dinner
When you have people over and you don’t know what to cook, lasagna is the perfect alternative. This ultra generous recipe is also very user-friendly, because it reminds us all of sweet memories of childhood or trips to Italy. The original recipe is always unanimous, but if you want to pique the curiosity of your guests, why not try the green version from food influencer Whoogy’s? The name can be scary, but it is simply a reinterpretation of spinach-ricotta lasagna. Of course, the cook twisted the recipe to make it an even more comforting dish. Is it possible ? Answer in the kitchen!
The list of ingredients for a dish for at least 6 people:
- fresh lasagna sheets
- 600 g fresh spinach
- 250g ricotta
- 1 yellow lemon
- 2 shallots
- 2-3 onions
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 30 g of parmesan
- olive oil, salt, pepper, Espelette pepper
- 1 mozzarella fiore di latte
- a little parmesan
For the béchamel:
- 60g butter
- 60 g of flour
- 1 L of whole milk
- 60 g of parmesan
The steps of the recipe:
- If you don’t make the lasagna dough fresh, you can start by preparing the lasagna machine. To do this, finely slice the onion and shallots. Grate a clove of garlic, this will infuse the whole filling. Reserve the three condiments.
- In a high-sided pan, melt a generous knob of butter with a drizzle of olive oil. Brown the onion, shallots and garlic. Cooking tipa: add a pinch of salt to help them reduce and mix continuously so it doesn’t stick. Let cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
- When the onions and shallots are very soft, deglaze them with white wine if you have any or add your fresh spinach directly to the pan. You can cover them to speed up the cooking of the spinach. Add all of your spinach little by little. When you have cooked all your spinach, remove the water using a strainer or using tongs.
- After removing the contents of your saucepan into a salad bowl, crumble the ricotta on top. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, Espelette pepper and lemon zest if you like it. Grate a little parmesan for even more flavor. Mix vigorously.
- To prepare the béchamel, place a nice knob of butter in a pan over medium heat and let it melt without coloring. Add the same amount of flour. Mix with a whisk or spoon so that the flour absorbs all the butter. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes maximum.
- When it starts to form a dough, add the whole milk. Whisk the mixture for a few minutes, while the béchamel sets. Season with nutmeg. When it has a nice light and creamy texture, it’s perfect! Grate a good quantity of parmesan which you will pour into your béchamel. Mix until you obtain a very smooth texture.
- Grate a little smoked mozzarella or use pizza mozzarella. Reserve.
- Proceed to editing. Start with a good ladle of béchamel then arrange your fresh lasagna sheets. Now is the time to add the garnish. Repeat the operation until supplies last or before your dish overflows. In the middle of your lasagna, don’t forget to add a layer of grated mozzarella.
- For a nice crust, pour in the béchamel and the rest of your spinach preparation. Sprinkle everything generously with parmesan and smoked mozzarella.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 180°. If it burns, cover the dish with aluminum foil.
How to make fresh spinach lasagna dough? Recipe
If, like Whoogy’s, you want to make your own fresh lasagna sheets, it’s a credit to all and your recipe will only be better! For the fresh spinach lasagna dough, you will need: 500 g of 00 flour, 3 eggs, 1 egg yolk, and 70 g of fresh spinach.
Start by blanching the spinach for 1 to 2 minutes in a pan of boiling water. Rinse them in very cold water and squeeze them dry. Incorporate your spinach leaves into a blender, mix for a few seconds then slip in the eggs. Mix until you obtain a nice, smooth, green liquid. When it is good, place the flour on your work surface in a smooth shape. Pour all of your spinach preparation into it. Add a generous pinch of salt and mix with a fork. Little by little add the flour to your green preparation. Now is the time to knead your dough for at least 10 minutes. As you go, the dough will become very green and that’s exactly what you need! If it is still dry after a few minutes, moisten your hands. When you have a smooth ball of green dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
Once the dough has rested well, it’s time to shape the dough sheets. You can roll it out with a rolling pin or a manual rolling mill, but for greater comfort, the cook uses an electric device. Divide your ball in two, fluff it and flatten your dough before passing it through the rolling mill. Start by passing your strip to notch 1. When it’s done, fold the dough over itself and slide it lengthwise. Iron it once or twice then repeat the operation for each notch.
Little chef tip : cut the leaves to the size of your dish. Spread a little flour and your sheets of lasagna dough are ready!
Read also :
⋙ Artichoke lasagna: the super comforting recipe for fall by Julie Andrieu
⋙ Philippe Etchebest’s lasagna: his easy and inexpensive recipe
⋙ Greek lasagna: the original recipe by Juan Arbelaez