Triple Mushroom Lasagna

Lasagna, the pizza of pasta. Delicious sauce, a little filling, a lot of work. As unique as a your fingerprint, lasagna is anything you want it to be. I set out to make it with my favorite pizza toppings, mushrooms and green peppers. There is a reason people don't make lasagna every night, yet few dishes are as satisfying to make, serve and eat. Much like pizza,  I have yet to meet a person who would refuse a hot hunk of lasagna, and this one gets a special luxury of fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheese, 2 locally grown mushrooms and a luxurious tomato cream sauce made with local tomatoes.


Tomato Cream Sauce
Since tomatoes are in season in every one's garden right now- this recipe is basically an elegant way to get rid of a lot at once. This is a great fake out vodka sauce, would be excellent for chicken or eggplant parmesan, and would be great spiced up with some chili flakes. This sauce freezes very well, and it is imperative that this sauce is salted after the liquid has been reduced by half or 2/3rds to ensure proper seasoning. If you have home grown roma, pear or plum (paste) tomatoes, 20-25 of those would be preferable, but since i had them, i used a combination of big beef and celebrity tomatoes. This recipe makes about a half gallon of sauce- because why make a little when you can make a lot and have some for later!?


15-20 medium sized tomatoes.
1 small white onion
2 large shallots
4 medium to large garlic cloves, peeled
1 large green pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried herbes de provence
2 tablespoons dried italian seasoning
2 teaspoons dulce or sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste (after the sauce is completed)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup heavy cream

Wash the tomatoes, and remove any stems. With a paring knife, score each tomato with an "X" on the bottom to assist in peeling. In a large pot of salted water, boil the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes. Remove the tomatoes, and dunk them in ice water to stop the cooking. Peel each tomato, cut out the core and set aside in a large bowl. Using your hands, squeeze and squish the tomatoes until they are in small to medium sized pieces. Drain the tomatoes through a colander, or sieve and reserve the juices. Set aside 1 cup of tomato juice for the mushroom filling. Set aside remaining tomato juice, and get started on the vegetables for the sauce.

Heat a large pot (like the one you used to boil the tomatoes) on medium, and heat the olive oil until it shimmers in the pan. While the pan is heating, medium dice the onion, shallots and green pepper. Saute the onions and peppers until they are translucent and slightly brown. Add tomato chunks and turn the heat to high and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Reduce to medium low, and add dried herbs and whole peeled garlic.  If the mixture is too chunky- add some of the reserved tomato juice, (or if you're using roma or paste tomatoes- add water) until it is the consistency of a chunky soup. The mixture will reduce by half or two thirds, so start out by using less liquid so the flavors will concentrate, and take less cooking time. Simmer on medium low for 1-3 hours depending on volume and desired consistency. Stirring occasionally.  I like my sauce to reduce about 2/3 and be nice and thick.  Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture well. Add cream and stir well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.



Rustic Triple Mushroom Filling
Local mushrooms and fresh cheeses can be found at farmers markets, or a specialty food store like Ellwood Thompsons here in Richmond, VA. If you can't find wood ear mushrooms, use more shiitake, or any other mushroom you like. I like the wood ear for the meaty and interesting texture, as well as the smoky and woody flavors that play well with the funkiness of the fontina cheese.

1 package of Dave and Dee's Oyster Mushrooms
1/2 pound of local shiitake's- de stemmed and cleaned
1 package of dried wood ear mushrooms
1 cup tomato juice
8 ounces fresh whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded fontina cheese,  1/2 cup reserved for top of lasagna
8 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella, or 2 large mozzarella balls. reserve 1/2 a mozzarella ball for top of lasagna
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese (for top of lasagna only)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Boil the reserved tomato juice (in a microwave is fine) and add the dried wood ear mushrooms. let the mushrooms steep for about 15 minutes. Heat a large stainless steel frying pan on medium high heat. Clean and de-stem the  shiitake and oyster mushrooms, and rip the caps into about 1 inch pieces. Heat oil in the pan until it smokes slightly, and saute the mushroom pieces until they are golden brown. Add reconstituted wood ear mushrooms and saute lightly. De glaze the pan with any remaining tomato juice.  salt and pepper lightly towards the end of the cooking. In a medium sized bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, shredded fontina and mushrooms.

Lasagna Noodles
1 pound good quality lasagna- preferably the kind with the ruffled edges. I do not recommend no boil lasagna- mainly because i don't have much experience with them.
2 tablespoons olive oil
salted water

In a large pasta pot, boil salted water, and cook lasagna noodles for 10 minutes- or until they are just a bit harder than al dente. drain the noodles and on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet, shingle the lasagna noodles - saving any broken noodles for a lasagna patch if needed. This process can be a tricky one- since the noodles will stick together if you wait too long, or you burn your fingers if you touch them too much. I recommend silicone tipped, spring loaded tongs for ease of handling, or brave fingertips.


Assemble the Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 400
In a large dark coated lasagna or deep rectangular metal pan, butter the sides and bottom. In the bottom of the pan ladle about 8 ounces of sauce into the bottom. Shingle 4 or 5 lasagna noodles at the bottom of the pan. Smear half the cheese and mushroom mixture over the noodles and top with 6-8 ounces more of sauce, and rip up one ball of buffalo mozzarella- or enough to cover the sauce. Repeat this process 2 or more times until your pan is full. Top the lasagna with shredded fontina, asiago and mozzarella cheese, and a couple grinds of fresh black pepper. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling from the sides of the pan and the cheese is golden brown. Let the lasagna sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes so it can set up and be sliceable. No matter how much you want to eat it right away, this last step is crucial. Nothing is worse than trying to eat molten lasagna quickly, and that is a lesson you only need to learn once. If the Lasagna pan is very full, place the pan on a foil lined baking sheet for accident prevention.


Serve with crusty garlic bread and a nice beer, and you've got yourself a date.

Special thanks to my sister Pizzalicious Lauren for helping me peel and squish tomatoes.

Pan roasted chicken thighs with shiitake mushroom cream sauce and lemon baby broccoli.

As i mentioned in a previous post, I've taken on a summer challenge to get back in the kitchen with my newly acquired CSA. I love the surprise of veggies I get each Thursday, and even though its about 1,000 degrees in my kitchen, I'm determined not to let that stop me from cooking the bounty of the garden this summer.

This is a spin off of one of my favorites- french roasted chicken, featured earlier in this blog. Scaled down to just 2 servings (and using just one pan), this chicken makes a beautiful and thoughtful presentation for a date, or an intimate Sunday supper when pared with my easy lemon baby broccoli. You can substitute chicken breasts, but in my experience, nothing tastes quite like a roast chicken than a juicy thigh with a little crispy skin. Keeping the bone in keeps the thigh moist and flavorful, and makes overcooking almost impossible.

Made with some super star local ingredients; broccoli, chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms and garlic, this is one pleasing recipe you'll want to make over and over. 


Lemon Baby Broccoli
1/2 pound baby broccoli, washed and trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
the juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste


Heat a stainless steel pan over medium high heat. While the pan is heating, cut baby broccoli into quarters, or halves if the stems are small. Add the oil to the pan, and heat the oil until it starts to smoke slightly. Add the baby broccoli to the pan, cut side down and sear on each side for approximately 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and water and increase heat to high. boil off the water, and remove the broccoli when it is just fork tender. I like my broccoli with a little bite to it, so i keep it on the more al dente side of things.

Prepare the pan for the chicken by wiping out any excess oil or water with a paper towel.


Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs
2 bone in chicken thighs, skin on.
2 tablespoons herbes de provence
1 teaspoon kosher/sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
 2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil

Heat a stainless steel pan over medium high heat. While the pan is heating, wash and dry the chicken thighs. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper and herbes de provence. Rub the herbs into the chicken, being careful not to remove the skin. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down and sear for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the skin releases from the pan and is golden brown. (if the skin is still sticking, it isn't ready to turn yet) Turn the chicken over and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is done. The chicken is done when the juices run clear near the bone, is springy and firm to the touch, or when an instant read thermometer reads 175 in the fattest section of the meat, making sure to touch the bone when taking the temperature. Set aside the chicken to rest and prepare the pan for the sauce.

Shiitake Mushroom Cream Sauce
1 cup shiitake mushrooms-stems removed and sliced. If mushrooms are dirty, rub them lightly with a damp towel, don't wash.
1/4 cup good quality cream sherry mixed with 3 tablespoons tap water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 garlic clove, minced finely
salt and pepper to taste

Remove most of the extra fat/oil from the pan previously used for the chicken thighs, leaving about a tablespoon to cook the mushrooms. Heat the oil over medium high heat, until the oil shimmers and starts to smoke a little. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until the mushrooms start to brown. When the mushrooms are seared nicely on each side, add the sherry/water mixture and deglaze the pan, scraping up bits of fond as you go. when the liquid has reduced by 2/3, remove from the heat and add heavy cream and minced garlic. Add any juices that have collected on the plate holding the rested chicken thighs, stir well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the chicken, and pour over the mushroom sauce. Bon appetite, and try not to lick the plate in front of company.

 Pepper was licking her chops


















I got this olive oil at the greek festival, and it is technicolor green, fruity and delicious.

Vegan triplet pasta feast

This weekend was the celebration of Best Friends Day 8. To ring it in right, one of my best friends came to town and as we always do when she visits me, i made a huge dinner for her and all our friends. It was hot, and at one point i was using all burners, the oven, a fan and a food processor at once-- and blew a fuse! a first in my kitchen- and a slight badge of honor. Thank goodness for my pizzalicious sister and her friend for coming to my rescue as impromptu sous chefs- and for letting me bark orders at them as i cooked myself in the heat of my kitchen, fried my blender motor, blew fuses, and ran out of counter and sink space so fast i contemplated using the floor.

I love nothing more than to cook for a crowd. I love to cook for my friends and family, and it is one of the rare instances when i am social and friendly- completely natural and in my element. it lately seems like its pretty often that dinner for four turns into dinner for 8 in a few short texts.

I'm flattered by the fact that people think a seat at my table is a good bet- and it seems like I've never got a shortage of neighbors the minute that garlic hits the pan, and that familiar smell wafts through the house and neighborhood. This is normally true--except for last night, when i had so much leftover food i used just about every tupperwear container i had. I still had about 16 people in attendance- but it was clear that i had over cooked- even by my standards, and coming from my background, i was embarrassed by this showing of yummy vegan excess. But in the end- my friends and my friends friends' were seemingly happy and well fed, and no one ever complains about eating too little right?

My friend whom we were celebrating is vegan, and as is our tradition, whenever she visits i cook for her and our friends. I knew i wanted to do pasta, and i thought it'd be great to figure out how to veganize something really comforting, and cheesy. I had been quizzing all my chef friends, and foodie buds alike on how to best make a vegan alfredo sauce. i kid you not, i probably got 9 separate answers on how to make it best-- and was so overwhelmed in the grocery store, that i scratched the whole thing, and decided to play it safe and make something i know, and let the grocery store produce section inspire me. Sorry i forgot to take pictures- there was much eating and drinking involved.

Pasta Triplets
Butternut squash "Cheddar" shells
Penne with Popeye Pesto
Bow Tie Pasta with Dueling Vegetable Marinara

Butternut Squash "Cheddar" Shells
The butternut squash cavatappi, featured earlier this year on this blog was a perfect candidate for veganizing a dish, and it is something i love to make and eat. the orange of the roasted squash really looks like cheddar cheese, and the sweet and garlicky sauce is a real crowd pleaser.

I substituted 4 ounces of tofutti vegan sour cream, and 4 ounces of vegan cream cheese for the goat cheese listed in the original recipe. The roasted butternut squash sauce was quite a bit thicker than usual for some reason ( i guess the vegan cream cheese and sour cream really seized the mixture) i added about 4 times the normal amount of pasta water to the mixture than usual to thin it out, and used traditional medium sized shells - since i had a coupon.

Penne with Popeye Pesto
This deliciously green dish, usually served with a hard Italian cheese is equally good when the lemon and almond mixture steps up to the plate. Pesto to me screams summer-- when you just have to use all that basil before it turns. The sweet yet full flavor of the almond butter against the licoricey and grassy flavor of the spinach and basil is bright and light with just a hint of sharpness from the garlic and lemon. Perfect hot or cold, this dish would be an excellent side, and the pesto is great on boiled potatoes, as a sandwich spread when mixed with a little veganaise, grilled with tofu, in eggs, or on just about anything. I always make a little extra, and freeze some of my larger batches so I'll have a little summer-- even in the winter time.

3 cups baby spinach (packed)
1 cup basil, cleaned (packed)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook pasta in salted boiling water until aldente.
in a dry pan over medium heat, toast the nuts (separately). once the almonds have toasted lightly, add them to a food process er with a tablespoon of oil and a little salt. Process the almonds until they are smooth like peanut butter. Remove the almond butter from processor and set aside. In the same processor add the basil, spinach, garlic, lemon juice, zest and toasted walnut pieces, pulse while drizzling in oil slowly, until the mixture is thick. Stir in almond butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

add the pesto to hot pasta, and serve immediately. if the mixture is too thick, you can add pasta water, or a little extra oil, but i like to add a little vegan margarine for some extra flavor and some shine.

Bow Tie Pasta with Dueling Vegetable Marinara
The two kinds of mushrooms provide beefy texture and an excellent counterpart to the tender and slightly crisp white and green asparagus. This dish makes for such a hearty bowl of pasta, you won't miss the cheese, and you won't be able to decide which asparagus or mushroom wins.

1 bunch thick green asparagus- peeled, and re bundled
1 bunch white asparagus- peeled, and re bundled
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
6 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned
6 ounces oyster mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped roughly
1 large jar of premium quality marinara sauce- i used trader joe's tomato basil pasta sauce
Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook pasta in salted boiling water until aldente. reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus for about 4 minutes. shock the asparagus in and ice bath, and slice each bunch into thirds.
Slice shallots thinly, mince garlic. In a large pan over medium high heat, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. heat the olive oil, and saute the shallots and garlic. once they have turned golden brown, set aside. Slice mushrooms finely, and in the same pan you cooked the shallots and garlic in, add more oil to coat the bottom of the pan and bring to medium high heat. saute the mushrooms and keep stirring. don't salt the mushrooms yet, or they'll sweat. when the mushrooms are golden brown, add the sherry and deglaze the pan. once the alcohol has cooked off, add the roasted red peppers, sauteed mushrooms, blanched asparagus, and marinara sauce. stir well and add salt and pepper to taste. bring the sauce to a simmer, then add to hot bow tie pasta and toss well. add some of the reserved cooking liquid if needed