Every once in a while there is a need to make a time-consuming dish and, as far as I'm concerned, lasagna definitely falls into this category.
Such was the situation not too long ago when I tried to figure out how to get part of a meal done ahead of time to make my life easier. Roasted-Vegetable Lasagna was the choice of entrˇe, and it was to be made in an 8-inch square pan, the perfect size for four people.
Roasting the vegetables makes for a richer flavor, well worth any extra effort, especially since I discovered they could be roasted a day ahead. The peppers could be peeled ahead and chilled, and the sauce could also be made early, so things were looking better all the time.
Take your time to find the called-for Italian Fontina cheese because it adds a great deal to the flavor, although these days almost all of our local stores carry it.
After the lasagna is baked, be sure to allow the 20 minutes of resting time before you serve. This lets the cheesy sauce firm up, and you'll be able to get it onto plates in a semblance of beauty.
By the way, should you decide to make the sauce early, cover the surface with wax paper and chill. Rewarm it over low heat, stirring often, before using.
So many times lasagna has a tomato sauce. This doesn't; it has a bˇchamel sauce that is actually a white sauce with lots of cheese. It's a nice change.
To go with the entrˇe, I made a big Green Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette. Life is good these days when you can grab a bag of prewashed lettuce of most any variety you should choose. Somehow for me, Spring Green Salad Mix is chosen most often, but just pick any bag or type you prefer.
The nice thing about the sherry vinaigrette is that it is light and it goes with just about any salad you want to make, whether you add veggies (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers) or fruit (thin slices of apple or pear and perhaps some dried cherries or cranberries and almonds).
With the lasagna, my choice was the veggies. We also had a loaf of Take and Bake French Bread; talk about convenient!
Finally, it was important to come up with a dessert that didn't require much work since concentration was needed for the lasagna. This reminded me of some fun Butterscotch Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches made a week earlier that were sitting in the freezer. These would be perfect - and the work was already done.
They are perfect just as they are, but, if you want overkill, you could drizzle some caramel sauce around the plate for dipping as you get ready to serve them.
Remember when working with the ice cream that to make the "sandwiches," work gently. You don't want to crack your cookies.
It was a delicious meal and the lasagna really wasn't all that much work, especially since I could do part of it ahead of time.
Roasted-Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 4
1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
3 ounces Italian Fontina, coarsely grated
1 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
5 (6 1/4 by 3 1/2-inch) or 10 (7- by 6 3/4-inch) no-boil lasagna noodles
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut three 1/3-inch-thick lengthwise slices from center of eggplant and reserve remainder for another use. Brush two large shallow baking pans with 1 tablespoon oil total, then arrange eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers on one layer in pans. Brush vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with pepper and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt.
Roast, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until eggplant and zucchini are browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes total. Transfer eggplant and zucchini to a plate. Turn peppers over and continue to roast until tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover, then let stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, move one rack to middle position and leave oven on. Peel peppers.
While vegetables roast, cook garlic in butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking frequently, 8 minutes (sauce will thicken slightly when it first comes to a boil).
Remove from heat and cool bˇchamel sauce, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in cheeses, basil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Soak noodles in hot water just until pliable, 8 to 10 minutes.
Spread 2/3 cup sauce in an 8-inch square baking dish. Drain one large noodle or two small noodles on a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and put over sauce in dish. Top with half of zucchini in one layer, 1/2 cup sauce and another noodle (or two). Make another layer with all of eggplant, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle (or two). Top with remaining zucchini, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle (or two). Cover completely with remaining sauce. Bake until golden and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.
Let stand in pan on rack 20 minutes.
Butterscotch Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
King Arthur Baking Sheet
Butterscotch cookies:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Granulated sugar for coating glass
Ice cream sandwiches:
1 quart caramel or dulce de leche ice cream
Butterscotch cookies
Butterscotch cookies:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease (or line with parchment paper) two baking sheets.
Place 3/4 cup of the flour and the pecans in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until the nuts are in very small pieces, but not pulverized. Place the mixture in a medium bowl and whisk in the remaining flour, dry milk, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is evenly combined. Scoop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Lightly grease the flat (2-inch diameter) bottom of a drinking glass, then dip it in granulated sugar. Use the glass to press the cookie dough down to 1/4-inch thick.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown around the outside edges. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Yields 32 3-inch cookies.
Green Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette
Bag of mixed greens of your choosing
Vegetables or fruit of your choosing
Dress lightly with Sherry Vinaigrette
Sherry Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Put all ingredients into a bowl; whisk well to blend.
Ice cream sandwiches:
Soften ice cream in the refrigerator for approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
Turn half of the cookies upside down, so bottom is facing up. Scoop a modest amount of ice cream and place it gently on the upside down cookie. Take a second cookie and place it gently on top of the ice cream. Squish gently to even out the ice cream.
Wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag until needed.
Bon appetit!
Nancy Adams can be reached at nkadams@uslink.net
Copyright 2008 by Nancy A. Adams
