This mushroom and pea pasta cabonara was a last-minute addition to our Thanksgiving menu in the fall. It was whipped up quickly and easily, but it turned out to be my favourite dish! The bacon and cream didn’t weigh down the pasta at all, probably because of all the bright, green peas studding the entire thing. I loved the salty cubes of crispy bacon, the mellow and earthy mushrooms, and the light touch of cream. While I am not the biggest fan of peas, I was able to forgive them this time, because they gave the dish a beautiful sweetness.

This was made without any recipe, but here’s the basic idea.

These are the ingredients that went into our version – use as much or as little as you would like, or for as many people as you’re cooking for.

Bacon (as much as you would want!)
Mushrooms (2 packages)
1 yellow onion
2 cups frozen green peas
3 eggs
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup whole milk or half and half
1 – 1 ½ pounds egg noodles
Salt and pepper

Slice mushrooms and dice onion(s). Set aside.

Take as much bacon as you would want in your dish – cut into cubes, and sauté, until browned, crispy and crunchy. Remove from pan, but leave all that delicious bacon grease in there.

Saute the onions and then the mushrooms in the bacon fat. Remove.

Combine mushrooms, onion, bacon and frozen peas in a bowl. Set aside.

To make the cream sauce, whisk together the eggs (3 should do it for 4 servings) and grated parmesan cheese. Add ½ cup of cream or half-and-half. Stir and set aside.

Boil salted water; add pasta (I used egg noodles for this one) (between 1 pound and 1½ pounds). Cook until al dente.

Drain pasta – add pasta immediately to the bowl of mushrooms, bacon, peas and onion. Pour in the egg/cream/cheese mixture. Toss with vigour. Season to taste and serve!

This is probably my favourite lasagna recipe ever. It is simply the perfect lasagna…so much so that I made it twice within a two-week period. So what do I love about it?

I love how it’s packed with veggies – and it’s so easy to be able to use which ever veggies you want in it. I added a lot to it that wasn’t in the original recipe, and I know you can add whatever it is that makes your mouth happy. You can taste all the veggie goodness in it too – they don’t all just blend together in one tasteless lump, but each vegetable maintains a bit of crunch and a whole lot of flavour.

The cheese filling! I loved the combination of ricotta and cream cheese. I’m sure many people, especially lasagna purists, will find this addition strange, an abomination against true lasagnas everywhere, but it really is fantastic. It gives a smoothness and a bit of tartness, which plays perfectly with the sweet tomato sauce.

This does take a little time to make, since there’s so much chopping, but the end result is worth it. You probably get about 18 servings of vegetables in one piece, so you can feel virtuous eating it as well.

Garden Goodness Vegetarian Lasagna
adapted from Paula Deen
Printable Recipe

VEGETABLE FILLING
2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1/2 cup thinly sliced parsnips (or squash)
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

SAUCE
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

CHEESE MIXTURE
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt

8 oven-ready, “no cook,” lasagna noodles
8 slices provolone cheese, thinly sliced (I used emmental the last time, worked great!)
2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place about 1/3 of the veggies in pan and cook until slightly tender. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all the veggies have been lightly cooked.

2. Combine crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, ricotta, eggs and salt. Stir together.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

5. Spread 1/3 of the sauce evenly over bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Place 4 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/2 of cream cheese mixture over noodles. Cover cheese mixture with 1/2 the vegetable mixture, more sauce, and top evenly with slices provolone cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with 4 noodles, rest of the cream cheese mixture, vegetables, sauce, and remaining cheese. Place in oven for 35 minutes or until lasagna is hot and bubbling

Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This has not been my healthiest winter. I am one of those people who rarely get sick or hurt, but the past few month or so has taken away that bragging right. In the last thirty days, I managed to suffer from a bile attack, sinus infection, hacking cough, burnt eyeball, wisdom tooth extraction, and hacking cough #2 (not great to have with fresh stitches and a bout of canker sores along the gums). Add to this list of miseries that it is currently -26C with the wind chill (-14F). Not great stuff to be talking about on a food blog….but the reason why is that I think I may have found the meal that can at least pacify all these ills: rich, saucy mushroom bourguignon.

In the middle of winter, achy with coughs and a cold, mouth sore and tender, there’s nothing better than soft mushrooms that have simmered in a thick sauce of red wine, broth, fresh thyme, and onions. The mushrooms are tender, juicy and bursting with flavor. The sauce is decadent, and easily vegetarian if you use veggie, onion or mushroom broth (we have found the best organic bouillon cubes that come in every flavor you could want). The red wine really shines through, the chunks of carrot and pearl onions are sweet, and the thyme the idea herb. Serve atop a bed of egg noodles, settle in on the couch under a blanket; it suddenly doesn’t feel so cold out and everything starts hurting a little less.

Obviously, I’m in love with this dish – highly recommended! It’s also versatile, so add the mushrooms you like, throw in some potatoes, add a bay leaf or two. The only things I would suggest you ensure you do is use good enough red wine, as its taste does shine through (and really, you want to be able to tolerate drinking a few glasses of it yourself – you need something to keep the spirits up while putting this together), and to use fresh thyme. You would never miss the meat that’s not in here, and if you’re a vegetarian, you would relish in that that fact!

Mushroom Bourguignon
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 or 3 large Portobello mushrooms, cut in ¼ inch slices (don’t include the stems)
1 ½ pounds cremini or button mushrooms, cut into ¼ slices.
1 carrot, finely diced
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch (you may not need all of this, or you may need a little more. Start slowly and stop when it’s thick enough!)
1 cup pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)

Egg noodles, for serving

Sour cream and chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. Heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove them from pan.

2. Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

3. Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half.

4. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender. Add the pearl onions and simmer for five minutes more.

5. Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes.

6. If the sauce is too thin, combine the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of hot water. Add the mixture in small increments to the pot, until it reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with sour cream (optional) and sprinkle with parsley.

Here’s a quick and easy summery pasta dish that can use up some of that zucchini surplus! With summer drawing to a close (sob!), zucchini is everywhere, and so this is a great weekday meal if you’re a little rushed and have pounds of zucchini sitting on your counter.

I knew I wanted to prepare a pasta dish that used thin slices of zucchini, so I went from there. What would go well with zucchini? In the end, I decided to sauté the zucchini slices in olive oil with garlic, onion and mushrooms, added a little bit of cream, then tossed in with the pasta. I topped it with fresh basil from the balcony garden and some grated Parmesan. In all, the dish probably took less than 30 minutes to prepare, and was bursting with fresh summery flavours. This is extremely versatile as well, so if you have other favourite veggies you’d like to include, just toss them in the pan!

Zucchini & Mushroom Pasta with Garlic and Onion
Adapted from Dirty Gourmet

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 -3 zucchini, thinly sliced
½ – 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tablespoons cream
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, finely chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated
½ pound pasta

1. Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic and onion and sauté over medium high heat.

2. Add mushrooms and zucchini and continue to sauté until soft.

3. Add cream, salt and pepper and reduce heat to low. Simmer while pasta cooks.

4. Prepare pasta.

5. Add pasta to the zucchini mixture. Top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

This is a recipe for chicken tetrazzini that I’ve used many times. It doesn’t take all that long to make, it doesn’t call for a ton of expensive ingredients, and it makes enough to fill a hungry table of eight. And on top of all that, it’s a great-tasting pasta dish!

If you’ve never eaten chicken tetrazzini, it’s a creamy pasta-casserole dish with juicy chunks of chicken, buttery mushrooms, fresh parsley and peas, topped with a crisp Parmesan topping. It’s garlicky comfort food, and I could eat this every week. I made it recently for my mother’s birthday dinner, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis at Food Network, but I have made a few changes to it. I find hers to be a bit lackluster, so I recommend upping the amount of seasoning and flavours in it.

If you’re searching for a substantial, warm, creamy dish for a family dinner, this would be an awesome choice! You can always speed up the prep time by buying a rotisserie chicken and using that..I’m sure the roasted chicken flavours would only improve the dish!

Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini
adapted from Food Network

9 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
7-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk , room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces linguine
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper on each side. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through.

3. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.

4. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat (salt the mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon for the salt) until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

5. Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining teaspoon salt, and remaining pepper Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.

6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

7. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

I have a terrible habit… cooking for 50 when only five are around. I think I topped out at 12 liters in my last attempt at soup. Small pots help keep me honest, but I seem to always find a way. This is true with spaghetti – mounds of it left over – always.

This is not a bad thing, especially considering the convention of the frittata!

These are many ways to approach this. I like the day old spagettes, but any older and you might want to freshen the mix by inviting some fresh veg into the equation. Try wilting spinach, frying onions, or adding fresh tomatoes.

Spaghetti Frittata

Start by sparking the broiler and getting an oven safe skillet to medium-high heat.

In a bowl, whisk as many eggs as you need (i.e. about 1 per serving @ 6 – 10 servings). I’ve seen recipes that might discard every other yolk, but I don’t. Depending on your original pasta sauce, you might not need to season the eggs – a softer sauce might require you to add salt, pepper, etc… use your judgment.

Now the fun part – it’s best to work with a slightly warmer leftover so pull your spaghetti earlier or warm in just a tad in the microwave. Fold the spaghetti into your egg mixture and ensure and even coating.

On your medium-high hot skillet, gently and evenly add the mixture. Let in cook on the stove-top for 5 -7 minutes and follow up with another 3 – 5 minutes under the broiler. I like to pull it in the last 2 minutes to add a coating of any gritty sharp Parmesan. Keep an eye on it as broilers are mean, loud, and pushy

Slice like a pizza – um – a pie? A pie.

Serve with a salad or a quartered and salted tomato – all doused with your best olive oil.

The play of textures in this crispy, flavorful, and tender point is bliss and makes a great snack, light meal, or easy take-with-you lunch idea.

When Soli cam home with a big bag of sun-dried tomatoes, I spent a lot of time hunting down some delicious-sounding recipes to make with them. Because I really, really love pesto, and because it’s been such a hot and steamy past few days, I decided on a fast n’ easy pesto recipe.

I can’t say I am the biggest fan of this one, even though it is quite good. I suppose I’m just a pesto-purist…every time I try a variation on the usual pesto, I’m usually a little disappointed. The basil flavour is definitely there, but I think it might be too overpowered by the tomatoes, giving the whole dish a slightly…ketchupy taste. I think it may be better suited as a sandwich condiment.

Other people did like it, but for me, I’ll stick with my normal, run-of-the-mill pesto. It’s a nice and flavourful alternative, but I just love basil too much to want to cancel out its flavour.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
adapted from Epicurious
Printable Recipe

1 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 6 ounces) (I used reconstituted dried tomatoes, not packed in oil)
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water (depending on the consistency you’d like – add gradually!)
3/4 pound pasta

1. Combine sun-dried tomatoes, Romano cheese, basil, pine nuts and garlic in food processor. With machine running, gradually add olive oil and process until smooth paste forms. (Can be made prepared 2 weeks ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

2. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.

(Note! I didn’t do this last part, but instead drained the pasta and mixed in a few tablespoons of the paste right into the pasta to create a much thicker sauce for the pasta)

3. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Combine 3/4 cup tomato pesto with reserved cooking liquid in same pot. Add linguine and toss over medium-high heat to coat, adding more pesto, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

If you like this, you might also like:

Roasted Pepper and Mushroom Pesto
Greek Pasta Salad with Feta and Olives
Mediterranean-Style Vegetable Stew

When I stumbled upon Once Upon a Plate‘s recipe for Wild and Mild Mushroom Lasagna, I knew I had to make it. It’s been sitting in my must-eat-recipe backlog for a long time, just waiting for the perfect occasion. The time finally came when I had my family over for a Mother’s Day/sister’s birthday meal.

My mother made a great spinach salad, filled with pralined pecans, cranberries, red pepper and mango:

This lasagna did not disappoint. I made some changes to the recipe, like using more dried mushrooms in the bechamel, and adding onion to the mushroom filling (as well as adding more fresh mushrooms, thankfully, as the filling was rather sparse), and I’ve taken some liberties in rewriting the recipe for clarity’s sake (some info was missing, or so I found).

The bechamel sauce in here is so wonderfully tasty…packed with earthy, rich mushroom flavour! Make sure to chop those reconstituted mushies very well, as they’ll always stay a little bit tough. I found adding wine to deglaze the pan imparted a lot of flavour, so I wouldn’t skip that part. Next time, I might try making a bit more sauce – perhaps by another half – because I loved it so much and could’ve done with a bit more.

Same with the mushroom filling. Next time, I think I would go as far as doubling it, as there wasn’t enough sliced mushrooms between the layers. The onion addition was a good one as well, the flavour really carried over.

The thyme really stands out in this recipe, especially the next day. I might be tempted to make this a day ahead of time, just to let all the flavours flourish. The leftovers were particularly tasty! (Speaking of that, that’s why the cut portion photos are so lame…I didn’t take the time to take pictures hot out of the oven, so what you see isn’t the lasagna in its most appealing state )

I was really pleased with this dish and think it’s a great vegetarian option, as well as an excellent crowd pleaser. The instructions make it look longer and more complicated than it is – it’s actually quite easy to prepare.

Wild Mushroom Lasagna
adapted from Once Upon a Plate
Printable Recipe

BECHAMEL SAUCE
3 oz dried mushrooms, soaked for 1/2 hour in 1 cup hot water (I used a “forest mix” of dried mushies)
2 1/2 cups milk or half & half (I used 1 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups 15% cream)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

MUSHROOM FILLING
2 lbs fresh mushrooms, mixed and sliced (I used a combination of button, shitake and oyster mushrooms)
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup olive oil, divided into 2 parts
4 tablespoons butter, divided into 2 parts
3 to 4 chopped garlic cloves, divided into 2 parts
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese for topping
1 tablespoon of Cognac or extra dry sherry or white wine
3/4 cup grated Parmesano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for passing at the table
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1 pound of Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
fresh thyme for garnish (optional)

BECHAMEL SAUCE
1. Put dried mushrooms in hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Melt butter over low heat.

3. In a separate pan, (or in microwave) heat milk gently.

4. Whisk flour into butter, stir for a few minutes to cook flour, without allowing mixture to gain color.

5. Slowly add warm milk, still whisking. Keep whisking over low heat until smooth and thickened.

6. Grate fresh nutmeg over and stir in. Let the sauce cook very gently over a low flame, as you continue with the recipe.

7. Chop the reconstituted dried mushrooms rather finely (reserving mushroom water).

8. Heat 1 part butter and 1 part olive oil in a large frying pan. Saute the chopped wild mushroom & 1 part of the chopped garlic in the oil and butter, then salt and pepper generously. Saute until most of the mushrooms are a good medium brown. Stir in the Cognac, sherry or wine at this time, if you are using, and allow to cook off for a moment or two, until the strong alcohol scent has dissipated.

9. Pour in the reserved water from soaking the mushrooms, taking care not to allow any sediment (sand, etc.) to go into the frying pan. Turn up heat and stir until mushroom liquid has nearly all evaporated.

10. Transfer the contents of the pan (chopped mushrooms and any bit of juice) to the bechamel sauce, stir and retain over low heat; stirring occasionally; add a bit more milk or cream if sauce becomes too thick. The bechamel will turn a deliciously looking tawny to deep brown color.

MUSHROOM FILLING
1. Wipe out the frying pan, and heat the remaining butter & olive oil.

2. Saute the onion until translucent, then add the remaining garlic, dried thyme and sliced fresh mushrooms, salt & pepper them, and cook until nicely browned and liquid has evaporated. If the pan is very dry add a tablespoon or two of water or chicken broth.

3. When mushrooms have finished cooking, toss the minced parsley in the pan, stir and set aside.

ASSEMBLING THE LASAGNA
1. Though not indicated on the box of “no-boil” lasagna noodles, I soak each noodle in a bowl of hot water for about 1 minute for this particular recipe.

2. Lightly oil 9×14 lasagna pan.

3. Pour about 1/4 cup of milk or half & half into bottom of baking pan; this provides added moisture while baking so noodles will become tender.

4. Place noodles next, then follow with the bechamel sauce (cover noodle completely), a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan, then arrange 1/2 cup of the cooked sliced domestic mushrooms on top.

5. Repeat layers 3 to 4 more times, ending with sauce and grated cheese.

6. Finally sprinkle generously with grated Mozzarella.

7. Cover baking dishes with foil (not resting directly on the lasagna ingredients, but rather ballooned on top and sealed around the edges), and bake in a 350-degree (F) oven for approximately 45 minutes. I check at 30 minutes, then watch carefully from that time forward. Sauce should be bubbling vigorously, and all layers of noodles should be tender when pierced with a toothpick or tip of sharp knife.

Allow lasagnas to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional thyme sprigs.

If you like this, you might also like:

Asparagus and Mushroom Bread Pudding
Butternut Squash and Pecan Lasagna
Sour Cream Mushroom Pasta

We’re all settled into the new house, and I’ve even had the chance to get some baking done! However, our computer still isn’t set up, so I can’t really post about it. Soon though (I hope!) I can’t wait to start visiting all my favourite cooking blogs too – I miss drooling over all the fantastic recipes!

For now, here’s a dish I made ages ago, and completely forgot to write about. It was one of those evenings where I was famished, but running kind of low on ingredients. I grabbed a bunch of stuff from the fridge, and came up with a sour cream mushroom pasta dish, loosely based on this recipe.

It was pretty satisfying, and even better reheated the next day. I think it could use some tinkering, but for a spur-of-the-moment pasta, it does the job. I love sour cream sauces; the tang is sharp, especially compared to the mellowness of the mushrooms.

There are also some pretty unexpected ingredients in the dish, including pickle brine and sauerkraut. The pickle brine wasn’t very noticeable, but I have a feeling the dish might’ve been a bit bland without it. Same thing with the sauerkraut, though I really liked having the chopped cabbage in there – it added a fun texture to the pasta.

Of course, parmesan made the whole thing even better, and I added a whole lot of chopped parsley to get a bit of a brighter flavour.

All in all, when you’re looking for a way to use up the rest of your sour cream, I think a mushroom pasta dish like this is an excellent option, and very open to your own personal variations.

Sour Cream Mushroom Pasta
adapted from Seasonal Ontario Food

½ – 1 pound pasta
3 cups mushrooms
1 large onion
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup sauerkraut
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brine or pickle juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried dillweed
pepper
cayenne
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped parsley

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. When it boils, salt it and add the pasta.

2. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms and cut them in halves or quarters. Peel and dice the onion. Sauté the mushrooms and onions in the butter in a large skillet until soft and lightly browned. This should happen a little after the pasta goes into the pot to cook.

3. Meanwhile, mix the sour cream, chicken stock, sauerkraut, flour, brine, dill and pepper and cayenne to taste. Add this to the mushroom and onion mixture. Add the parmesan. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened.

4. When the pasta is cooked, drain it well and toss it with the sauce. Add the chopped parsley.

I’ve been searching for an awesome butternut squash lasagne, and it seems I have found the one I’ve been dreaming about. This dish is wonderful – rich, creamy, cheesy and packed with sweet squash.

I love the squash filling; the sage really compliments it, and the parsley adds a nice, fresh bite to it. The original recipe called for hazelnuts, but I preferred the idea of pecans, so I used those instead. I think they suit the dish perfectly.

As for the white sauce, on its own, it seems a little bland. Once it’s smothering the lasagne and all baked in, it becomes thick and rich and bursting with flavour. Of course, all the cheese helps with that!

I upped the garlic and the sage amounts from the original recipe, and I’m happy I did (but then again, I’m a garlic fiend). I think I added some extra salt in the squash filling; I just kept adding to taste.

If you’re looking for a really tasty way to serve butternut squash, this would be it!

Butternut Squash and Pecan Lasagne
adapted from epicurious

SQUASH FILLING

1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used two squashes)
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage (I used 1 – 2 tbsp dried sage)
1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

WHITE SAUCE

1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups milk
1 bay leaf (not California)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

LASAGNE ASSEMBLY

2 cups fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
12 (7- by 3 1/2-inch) sheets no-boil lasagne (1/2 lb)

FILLING
1. Cook onion in butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.

2. Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and nuts. Cool filling.

SAUCE
1. Cook garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes.

3. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes.

4. Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. (Cover surface of sauce with wax paper if not using immediately.)

LASAGNE
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Toss cheeses together.

3. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 3-quart baking dish) and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets.

4. Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup cheese.

5. Repeat layering 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

6. Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake lasagne in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

*Note from Wikipedia: Lasagna (singular, pronounced [laˈzaɲa] in Italian; plural lasagne pronounced [laˈzaɲe]) is both a form of pasta in sheets (sometimes rippled, though seldom so in Northern Italy) and also a dish, sometimes named lasagne al forno (meaning “oven-cooked lasagne”) made with alternate layers of pasta, cheese, and often ragù (a meat sauce) or tomato sauce. In Italy the dish is called “Lasagne” and not “Lasagna”.

The word lasagna, which originally applied to a cooking pot, now simply describes the food itself.[1] Most English-speaking people follow the Italian usage and use the plural “lasagne” to refer to both the dish and the pasta, but Americans commonly use the singular “lasagna”.