Tiny House Cooking

We all appreciate tiny efficient spaces, right? Well, this recipe lends itself well to small cooking spaces because the entire dish can be prepared in one large skillet or Dutch oven. Most lasagnas are heavy but this one is lighter and delivers a fresh and flavorful surprise in every bite!

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic, sliced
5 large ripe tomatoes, diced
1 cup chopped FRESH basil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 egg
1 cup ricotta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 carrot, sliced into ribbons with a peeler
1 zucchini, sliced into ribbons with a peeler
2-3 cup fresh spinach leaves
1 pkg FRESH Mozzarella
10-12 strips of cooked lasagna noodles

Directions

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, add water and bring to rolling boil and precook lasagna until slightly less than al dente. Pour lasagna in large bowl and let rest in its own hot water – lasagna will actually continue to cook so be sure you don’t over-boil it. Drizzle olive oil over bottom of hot pan you just poured the lasagna from and add garlic. Bring to a slow simmer to infuse the oil with the garlic ~1-2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until slightly thickened ~4-6 minutes. While that’s simmering, mix the ricotta, egg, 1 cup parmesan and S&P to taste in a large bowl – blend well. Back to the pan, pour all of the sauce into a large measuring cup and set aside leaving about a cup in the bottom of the pan. Line with a layer of lasagna noodles (3-4). Add half of the cheese mixture. Layer half of the carrots and zucchini and about 1/3 of the spinach leaves. Top with a spattering of the tomato sauce. Add another layer of lasagna noodles, then the remaining cheese mixture, layer in the remaining carrots, zucchini and another 1/3 of spinach. Top with a spattering of the tomato sauce. Add final layer of noodles (the noodles won’t completely cover the top) and the remainder of the tomato sauce and spinach. Cut mozzarella and arrange on top and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Put a lid on it and return it to the stove and simmer on LOW for 20-30 minutes. If you’re a purist and want to test for doneness, stick a toothpick in it. When you can push it in with no resistance, it’s done. For the rest of us, 20-30 minutes will be just fine. Turn stove off and allow to sit UNCOVERED for ~10 minutes to allow ingredients to meld. Drizzle top with extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground pepper. Cut with a Teflon spatula and serve with fresh bread and a nice Cabernet. I usually always prepare this in a large non-stick skillet and it will yield 4 generous or 6 average portions. And, if you’re like me and have discovered the value in cooking a large dish and then freezing portions for later meals, this recipe freezes well and is just as good on its encore serving. Top the meal off with a scoop of chocolate ice-cream with fresh raspberries sprinkled over and a dollop of whipped-cream and you’ve got a meal you or your guests won’t soon forget.

Notes

You can adjust most of the seasoning ingredients to your own tastes. If you really like basil, pile it on. If you aren’t crazy about garlic, use shallots instead. As for the basil, I’ve tried this recipe with several varieties, but Thai really adds a wonderful sweetness that compliments the fresh tomatoes. I have made this using other types of pasta, but for it to hold together with typical lasagna consistency, you really need lasagna noodles; otherwise, it’s more like a casserole. In spite of the seemingly complicated instructions, this is really easy to prepare, easy to cook, easy to serve and easy to clean up. It’s almost a shame to be that easy and taste so good! This dish compliments small kitchens so well, it’ll quickly become a favorite of yours too! Enjoy!

Thanks for the great recipe Randy! -Michael

This simple summer meal was sent in by Betsy McCullen. You can also read some of Betsy’s simple living writings on Small Living Journal.

1 – Fresh tomato, sliced with sugar sprinkled on top (the sugar is optional but i like it because it cuts down on the acid i get from tomatoes)
1 – Fresh cucumber, sliced with salt & pepper & sometimes a little oregano
2 – Fresh sweet corn (on the cob), shucked & lightly steamed for about 3 minutes with butter, salt & pepper

Sweet Corn Tips:
1) I use a buttered slice of bread: after buttering the bread, I roll the corn around on it to coat and then I eat the delicious bread too!!
2) Longer but tasty alternative to steaming: soak the corn (shuck and all) for about 20 minutes in cold water, then place it on the outdoor BBQ grill  turning once for about 8-10 total minutes (or to your own taste), then shuck and add butter/salt/pepper.