Moosewood: Greek Lasagna

[Guest guest]

Karen, I thought you might enjoy this recipe. Ellen

 

* Exported from MasterCook Mac *

 

Greek Lasagna

 

Recipe By : Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, page 352

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : * checked Show Stoppers

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

Tomato Sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

4 garlic cloves -- minced or pressed

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

5 cups undrained canned whole tomatoes

- (three 14.5-ounce cans)

1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

---

1 large eggplant -- cut into

- 3/4-inch-thick rounds

- (1 1/2 pounds)

olive oil for brushing

3 eggs -- beaten

2 cups cottage cheese

1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

3 cups grated feta cheese

1/2 pound uncooked lasagna noodles -- (12 noodles)

 

Separated only by the Ionian Sea, Greece and Italy share so much

history that it's curious how distinct their cuisines have remained.

We thought it would be fun to create a dish that combined the two

culinary styles. Starting with the classic Italian casserole,

lasagna, we switched the cheeses and gave the sauce a Greek touch.

The spirited flavors of this fusion played on our palates like a

mandolin and bouzouki duet.

 

We only partially cook the eggplant before layering it into the

casserole. This preserves its texture in the finished dish, since it

continues to cook as the lasagna bakes. If you're not familiar with

our uncooked noodle trick, this is it: don't boil the noodles. As

long as they're surrounded by sauce, raw noodles will cook just fine

in the oven-so don't bother with all that boiling water!

 

Serves 8

Preparation time: 50 minutes

Baking time: 45 to 50 minutes

Sitting time: 10 to 15 minutes

 

In a saucepan, warm the olive oil briefly on medium-high heat. Add

the onions and saute for about S minutes, stirring frequently, until

the onions have begun to release juices. Stir in the garlic and

marjoram and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the

tomatoes, cover, and bring to a simmer; then reduce the heat to

medium-low--just enough to maintain a simmer. Add the olives, salt,

and pepper. For best flavor, add the dill just before assembling the

lasagna.

 

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet.

 

While the sauce gently simmers, lay the eggplant rounds on the baking

sheet, brush them with olive oil, and bake uncovered for about 15

minutes. Remove the eggplant from the oven and reduce the heat to

350F .

 

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the eggs, cottage cheese, fennel,

and 1 cup of the feta and set aside.

 

Lightly oil a 7 1/2 x 10 x 3-inch casserole dish. Evenly spread 2

cups of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer

of noodles and cover with 1 cup of the sauce. Next layer all of the

eggplant rounds, 1 cup of the feta cheese, a second layer of noodles,

and another cup of the sauce. Finish with all of the egg and cottage

cheese mixture, a third layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce, and

the remaining cup of feta.

 

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven, uncover the lasagna, and let it sit for 10 to

15 minutes before serving.

 

PER 15-OUNCE SERVING: 462 CALORIES, 22.9 G PROTEIN, 24.5 G FAT, 39.6

G CARBOHYDRATES, 10.1 G SATURATED FATTY ACIDS, 172.4 MG CHOLESTEROL,

1,827.3 MG SODIUM, 3,5 G TOTAL DIETARY FIBER

 

 

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Per serving (excluding unknown items): 209 Calories; 11g Fat (47%

calories from fat); 15g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 114mg Cholesterol;

1052mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat

 

 

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