Bryanna
Clark Grogan |
If the sauces aren't
made yet, make them first. The Bechamel Sauce can be cold. Cook the
lasagne noodles in lots of salted boiling water until "al dente".
Drain and rinse under cold water, then lay out flat between layers
of waxed paper.
Oil a shallow
9x13" baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread a thin
layer of ragù on the bottom of the pan. Cover that with a
layer of noodles, touching. Spread a layer of ragù over that,
and then a layer of Bechamel Sauce, smoothing it out with the back
of a spoon. Sprinkle with some of the soy Parmesan. Repeat the layering
until everything is used up, ending with a layer of Bechamel and
soy Parmesan. Bake 30 minutes.
Let the dish
rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares.
VARIATIONS:
#1.) For Spinach
Lasagne
Add a layer
of 2 c. of Easy Tofu Ricotta (below) mixed with 3 (10 oz.) pckgs.
of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or 3 lbs. fresh
spinach, cooked, squeezed dry, and chopped), 4 cloves garlic, crushed,
1/4 tsp. freshly-grated nutmeg, salt and freshly-ground black pepper
to taste.
#2.) For Vegetable-Ricotta
Lasagne, follow the variation for Spinach Lasagne, but omit the
spinach and add instead about 3-4 c. of any roasted, steamed, grilled,
or sautéed vegetable, by itself, or mixed. You can use mushrooms,
bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, etc..
BRYANNA’S RAGÙ ALLA BOLOGNESE Makes about5 c.
This ragù
is the traditional topping for tagliatelle and tortellini, but you
can use it on any pasta, or on polenta, gnocchi, or in a Lasagne
alla Bolognese .
2 T. extra-virgin
olive oil
2 tsp. roasted sesame oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 c. vegetarian "hamburger crumbles" (I use Yves “Ground
Round”)
1 and 1/2 c. vegetarian broth
2/3 c. dry red or white wine (can be dealcoholized) (or use half
drywhite wine and 1/2 marsala, dry sherry, or madeira)
1 and 1/2 c. chopped fresh ripe plum tomatoes, or quickly-drained
chopped or diced canned plum tomatoes, processed briefly
2 c. soymilk, heated
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
OPTIONAL: 1 tsp. dried rosemary
About 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
In a medium-sized
heavy pot, heat the oils together over medium-high heat. Add the
onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté until the vegetables
are soft, stirring frequently. Add the "burger" and cook
for a few minutes. Add the wine and cook over high heat until it
has almost evaporated. Add the broth and cook it over high heat
until it reduces by at least half.
Add the tomatoes
and optional herbs and cook for a few more minutes. Slowly stir
in the heated soymilk, then reduce the heat to a mere simmer and
cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours. Taste for salt and pepper.
BRYANNA’S
DAIRY-FREE BECHAMEL OR WHITE SAUCE Makes 2 c.
This rich-tasting
sauce, used frequently in Italian cooking, is actually quite low
in fat. It is a key ingredient in dishes such as lasagne, and can
be used as an all-purpose white sauce in all of your cooking, and
as a topping for Greek dishes, such as vegetarian moussaka.
I think this
formula is a great improvement upon vegan white sauces made completely
with soymilk, which I find too sweet. The tofu and broth cube add
richness without much fat.
2 T. good dairy-free
margarine (or extra-virgin olive oil)
1 and 1/2 to 3 T. unbleached flour (depending on thickness)
Blended Mixture:
1 c. soy milk
1/2 c. extra-firm SILKEN tofu or medium-firm tofu, crumbled
1/2 c. water
1 "chicken-style" vegetarian broth cube (or 1/2 of one
meant for 2 c. liquid), crumbled
1/2 tsp. salt
a large pinch EACH of freshly-grated nutmeg and white pepper
Place all of
the Blended Mixture ingredients, EXCEPT the nutmeg and pepper, in
the blender and blend until VERY smooth. Set aside.
Melt the margarine
in a medium, heavy saucepan and whisk in the flour. Whisk it over
medium-high heat for a few minutes, but remove from heat before
it starts to change color (you want a white "roux"). Scrape
this into the Blended Mixture and blend for a few seconds, then
pour the mixture back into the pot. Stir over medium-high heat until
it thickens and boils; turn down and simmer on low for a few minutes.
Whisk in the nutmeg and pepper.
MICROWAVE OPTION:
Melt the margarine in a large microwave-safe bowl or 1 qt. Pyrex
measuring beaker on Hi for 45 seconds. Whisk in the flour and microwave
on HI 2 minutes. Scrape this into the Blended Mixture and blend
briefly, then pour it back into the bowl or beaker, or pour in the
Blended mixture and mix with a hand immersion blender until smooth.
Microwave on HI for 2 minutes. Whisk. Microwave for 2 more minutes.
Whisk. Microwave for 2 minutes more. Whisk in the nutmeg and pepper.
To make this
sauce wheat and corn-free, add the melted margarine directly to
the blended mixture, along with 1 to 4 T. white rice flour (or mochiko
flour, also known as sweet/glutinous rice flour) in stead of the
wheat flour (so you omit the first cooking step). 4 T. makes a very
thick sauce.
NOTE: Sauces
made with mochiko flour are excellent for freezing (for instance,
if you freeze a prepared but not baked lasagne), because the sauce
will not separate when thawed.
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BRYANNA’S
CLASSIC ITALIAN-AMERICAN-STYLE LASAGNE Serves 8-10
Unless otherwise
noted, the recipes are from my book “Nonna’s Italian Kitchen”.
This is based
on the southern-Italian-style festive lasagne that is popular in
North America, as opposed to the northern-Italian style one made
with Bolognese sauce. You have the choice of using the ragu ( a
rich, thick tomato “gravy”) “as is”, with the
mushrooms for flavor and substance, or you can add vegan “hamburger
crumbles” to the sauce for a “meatier” texture, OR
you can layer vegan “meatballs” and/or “Italian Sausage”
with the mushroom sauce. Instead of mozzarella cheese, or unsatisfying,
not-very-meltable, expensive vegan “mozzarella”, you use
a creamy rich-tasting bechamel (white) sauce or white “cheesey”
sauce. White sauces are authentically Italian and frequently used
in lasagne instead of grated cheese. Vegan soy parmesan is also
used.
As with all
lasagnes, the component recipes can be made a few days or hours
ahead of time (the ragu can be frozen well ahead of time and thawed
out) and the casserole put together just before cooking.
16 lasagne noodles,
cooked
1 recipe Bryanna’s Ragu ala Napoletana (see Below)
3 c. Bryanna’s Quick Tofu “Ricotta” (see below)
4 c. Bryanna’s Vegan Bechamel Sauce [thick] (see above) or
White Cheezy Sauce (see below)
about 1/2 c. Soymage vegan soy parmesan
1 c. breadcrumbs
extra-virgin olive oil
MEATY OPTION: 2 c. vegan “hamburger crumbles” (like one
pckg. Yves “Ground Round”, OR ground seitan, added to
the ragu OR 2 pckgs. Yves “meatballs” or vegetarian “meatballs”
made with Lightlife VEGETARIAN “hamburger or “sausage”
(brown first) AND/OR Lightlife vegetarian “Italian Sausages”,
browned and cut into chunks
TO ASSEMBLE
AND COOK THE LASAGNE:
Preheat the
oven to 350 degrees F. Have all the ingredients and component recipes
ready.
(If you want a “meaty” lasagne and you aren’t using
the “meatballs” and/or “sausage”, add the 2
c. veg “hamburger crumbles” or ground seitan to the ragu
as it cooks.)
Put a very thin
layer of ragu on the bottom of an oiled 9x13”, deep baking
pan or lasagne dish and set 2 c. of ragu aside for the top layer.
Divide the remaining ragu in 3 equal parts.
Place 4 cooked
lasagne noodles, slightly overlapping, on the sauce. Now layer 1
c. “ricotta” , about 1 c. either Bechamel Sauce or White
“Cheezey” Sauce, and sprinkle with about 2 T. soy parmesan.
Spread one of the 3 parts ragu that you have measured out over that.
If you are using “meatballs” and/or “Italian Sausage”,
scatter one third of them over the ragu (you can cut the “meatballs
in half, if you like).
Repeat the layering
until you have left only the 2 c. ragu that you set aside, 1 c.
white sauce, 2 T. soy parmesan, and the breadcrumbs and olive oil.
You should have 4 layers of noodles and 3 layers of filling (“ricotta”,
white sauce, soy parmesan, ragu and optional “meat”).
Top the last layer of noodles with the 2 c. ragu, spreading evenly.
Top that carefully with a thin layer of the remaining white sauce.
Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, and then the remaining soy parmesan.
Spray with the olive oil from a pump sprayer (or use olive oil pan
spray.
Bake for 1 hour,
covering with foil during the last 15 minutes, if it’s getting
too brown.
Let stand 15
minutes before cutting to serve.
THE COMPONENT
RECIPES: (See above for Bechamel Sauce)
BRYANNA’S
RAGÙ ALLA NAPOLETANA Makes about 6 c. (enough for one 9x13"
lasagne)
This very tomatoey
ragù from Naples, which bears very little resemblance to
the Ragù alla Bolognese on of the North (aside from the long
cooking time), was originally flavored with meat, but I have used
dried porcini mushrooms instead, with great success.
This is a wonderful
winter sauce for pasta and ravioli-- rich and deeply satisfying.
It is my favorite for lasagne, as well. Actually, it's worth your
while to double or triple the recipe and freeze some-- you'll find
many uses for it.
BATTUTO:
1 large onion
1 small carrot, peeled
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 stalk celery with leaves
1 T. olive oil
SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1 c. dry red wine (can be non-alcoholic) (or 3/4 c of a “beefy”
vegetarian broth plus 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar)
2 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes OR a 28 oz. can plum tomatoes and juice,
passed through a food mill or processed briefly in a food processor
or blender
1/2 small can (6 0z.) tomato paste
1 oz. dried porcini or boletus mushrooms, soaked 1/2 hr. in 2 c.
warm water, drained and chopped (reserve and strain liquid)
1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms (white or brown), chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. salt
1/2 T. EACH dried crushed dried basil and oregano
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. sugar
OPTIONAL: 1/4 tsp. red chile pepper flakes
freshly-ground pepper to taste
OPTIONAL: If you want a “meaty” lasagne and you aren’t
using the “meatballs” and/or “sausage”(see main
recipe, above) , add 2 c. veg “hamburger crumbles” or
ground seitan to the ragu as it cooks.
To make the
battuto, chop the vegetables finely with a sharp knife or food processor,
then heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the
chopped vegetables and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until
they are soft. Add the remaining ingredients (including the strained
porcini soaking broth) and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer,
partially covered, for about two hours (stirring every so often),
or until the sauce has cooked down. Taste for seasoning.
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BRYANNA’S
QUICK TOFU "RICOTTA CHEESE" makes three generous cups
1 and 1/2 lbs.
Regular medium-firm tofu, drained and well-mashed
1/2 c. plus 1 T. soymilk
3/4 tsp. salt
Mix all ingredients
together in a bowl and refrigerate.
Double this
recipe for the lasagne:
BRYANNA’S “WHITE CHEESE SAUCE” makes 2 generous c.
This is adapted from a recipe in my first book, “The Almost
No-Fat Cookbook”.
(wheat-free
and can be soy-free)
This sauce is
delicious on steamed vegetables or macaroni, and can be used to
top a casserole and broiled or baked to brown the top a little.
1 c. water
1 medium potato (about 4 oz.), peeled and chunked
1/2 a medium onion, peeled and chunked
1/3 c. raw cashew pieces OR 1/2-3/4 c. medium-firm tofu or extra-firm
SILKEN tofu
2 T. sesame tahini
1/4c. nutritional yeast flakes
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic granules
Simmer the potato
and onion in a small saucepan with the water, covered, for about
10 minutes, or until the potato is tender. Add to the blender container
with the remaining ingredients. Blend until VERY smooth. Use immediately
or refrigerate, covered for up to a week. (Reheat over gentle heat.)
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