Mile-High Lasagna Pie
Prep time: 50 min. Bake time: 60 min.
14 dried lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped carrot (3 medium)
2 cups finely chopped zucchini (1 medium)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms (8 ounces)
2 6-ounce packages prewashed baby spinach
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1 egg, beaten
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 26-ounce jar tomato-and-basil pasta sauce 2 1/2 cups)
2 cups shredded Italian fontina or mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
Rosemary sprigs (optional)
1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain well; set noodles aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add carrot, zucchini, and half of garlic. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer vegetables to a bowl. Add the remaining oil to the same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and remaining garlic. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Gradually add spinach. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove with a slotted spoon to another bowl; stir in basil. Set aside.
3. Combine egg, ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 375. To assemble pie, in the bottom of a 9x3-inch springform pan spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce. Arrange 3 to 4 cooked noodles over sauce; trim and overlap as necessary to cover sauce with one layer. Top with half of spinach-mush¬room mixture. Spoon half of ricotta cheese mixture over spinach mixture.
S. Top with another layer of noodles. Spread with half of remaining pasta sauce. Top with all of zucchini¬carrot mixture. Sprinkle with half of fontina cheese. Top with another layer of noodles. Layer with remaining spinach-mushroom mixture and the remaining ricotta cheese mixture. Top with another layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Gently press down pie with the back of a spatula.
6. Place springform pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven about 60 minutes or until heated through, topping with remaining fontina cheese for the last 15 minutes of baking. Cover and let stand on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. Carefully remove sides of pan. If desired, garnish with rosemary sprigs. Makes 10 servings.
Your imagination can't do this dish justice. Because you make it round and it is layered with so many different colored ingrediants the display can't be beat....well maybe by the taste it can.