Ingredients
Red Sauce:
- EVOO
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- One 28 to 32-ounce can Italian San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
- A few leaves fresh basil, torn
Bechamel Sauce and Ricotta:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 rounded tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 box frozen spinach, defrosted
- 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
Polenta:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
- 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking polenta
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen or ground fennel, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus some for greasing casserole
- 2 cups shredded provolone
Directions
For the red sauce: Place a rack in the center of the oven. Heat some EVOO in a medium Dutch oven or saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions to the pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the bay and thyme and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Next, stir in the wine and tomato paste. Add the tomatoes and crush with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Bring the sauce to a bubble and reduce the heat to a simmer and thicken, 15 minutes.
Preheat the broiler.
For the bechamel and ricotta: Melt the butter in a saucepot over medium heat and whisk in the flour for 1 minute. Then whisk in the milk and bring to a bubble. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Thicken the sauce and keep warm over low heat.
Drain the spinach well and separate into small pieces. Mix together the fresh ricotta and spinach in a small bowl.
For the polenta: Bring the milk and chicken stock to a low boil. Add the polenta and season with the fennel, if using, salt and pepper. Whisk the polenta to mass, 3 minutes. Finish the polenta by stirring in 1/2 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the butter.
Butter a casserole dish. Add half of the red sauce, and top with half of the polenta. Pour the bechamel sauce over the polenta and dot with the ricotta cheese and spinach. Top the bechamel layer with the remainder of the polenta. Top the polenta with more red sauce and the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and provolone. Reserve remaining red sauce, if any, to serve on the side. Broil to set and brown, 5 minutes.
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By aaday
on March 23, 2012
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awful! messy & time consuming. not much flavor either.
By rumyz
on February 09, 2012
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Made this thinking FINALLY our wheat-allergy family members can have lasagna. Was a bit worried after watching the show (looked a bit sloppy and reading the other review. But we loved it!
I only made a half recipe, which was enough for the 3 of us for dinner and lunch tomorrow. I skipped the bechamel (sp? altogether and just mixed spinach, low-fat ricotta, skim milk, nutmeg and pepper until the right consistency. Also, omitted the butter in the polenta and used skim milk. Topped with lower fat Mozzarella.... It was a tiny bit soupy (I did cook my polenta firm to try and help but also kept warm in the oven (like 250F for 30 min waiting for DH before I "cheesed-it" and broiled. Was like Italian shepherds pie or dressing. Delish!
By apacey_11556271
Nashville, TN
on February 06, 2012
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Tried this as an alternative to lasagna. Added mushrooms, red peppers, and some zucchini to the tomato sauce part to amp up the vegetable part. Used low fat milk/ricotta, otherwise this would be pretty high in fat. I let the lasagna set for about an hour before serving, otherwise it would be way too soupy. Still kind of mushy but it was okay for taste.
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