Woven Lasagna
I am no stranger to a good lasagna, it’s one of those dishes that lead kid me to believe that most Italian cuisine is various concoctions of pasta, red sauce, and cheese.
While there is nothing wrong with a classic meat and cheese lasagna, sometimes I can’t help but wonder if there are other ways to do this modern Italian staple, until now.
Way up in the small town of San Quirino (northwest of Trieste), there exists a restaurant called La Primula that serves up a unique spin on lasagna where the pasta is woven around a ricotta cheese filling before being sliced, baked, and served over a spinach sauce.
I’m not going to lie, this is going to take some skill to do right, but if done right then it just might change the way people think of lasagna forever. If you’re looking to seriously impress some friends or family, and want to take on a bit of a challenge, then this dish is for you!
Woven Lasagna with Spinach Sauce
Servings: 6
For the pasta dough:
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of olive oil
For the spinach sauce:
10 ounces of baby spinach
salt
olive oil, for drizzling
For the filling:
one 6-ounce package of sliced prosciutto
1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 1/2 cups of whole-milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cups of grated parmesan
2 teaspoons of minced fresh rosemary
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
Note: This lasagna is at it’s best when it’s made the day before and left to chill overnight, then you simply bake it when you’re almost ready to eat!
The same deal with the spinach sauce, it can be made the day before and warmed before service.
Make and rest the pasta dough according to the directions in my article about making fresh pasta.
https://the-s-word.net/pastaandpizza/how-to-make-perfect-fresh-pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and line a baking sheet with olive oil, then use your pasta roller to roll the pasta into 2 long sheets, each about 5 inches wide and 32 inches long.
I know that sounds like it’s going to be very long, but just go with me on this. You will have some pasta leftover, which you can slice then toss with your favorite pasta sauce and eat as it is.
Lower the pasta sheets into the boiling water and cook until the sheets float to the surface of the water. Remove the pasta sheets, but save the water, then lay them onto the oiled sheet pan and set aside.
Make the spinach sauce. Fill a bowl with ice water and have that near the pot used to cook the pasta.
In that same pasta water, cook the spinach for about 1 minute, or until the spinach is wilted but still green. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to remove the spinach from the water, then transfer it to the ice water to stop the cooking process.
Use tongs to take the spinach out of the ice water, but resist the urge to squeeze any excess water out of the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a blender or food processor, then blend until it becomes a smooth puree, adding up to 1/4 cup of water if needed.
Season with salt and olive oil, then transfer to a bowl or other container and put into the fridge.
Place the prosciutto into a food processor and grind until it resembles ground meat.
Dump the ground prosciutto into a small pan with the oil, then cook over medium-low heat until the prosciutto is browned and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the prosciutto and transfer to paper towels, allow that to cool completely.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, rosemary, salt, and prosciutto. Load the ricotta mixture into a piping bag, then set aside.
(Here comes the tricky part, assembling the lasagna. Just a note, you can layer the ricotta mixture with the pasta like you’d make regular lasagna.)
Coat a loaf pan with olive oil.
Lay one of the pasta sheets into the pan across the width of the loaf pan, one side of the pasta should come up the long sides of the pan by about 5 inches while the rest of the pasta should be hanging over the other edge. Use your fingers to push the pasta down to the bottom of the pan, then repeat with the other pasta sheet.
Pipe the line of the ricotta mixture along the long edge of the loaf pan, keeping as close to that edge in the pan as possible, then repeat with a second line of filling about 1 inch apart from the first.
Carefully fold the long, hanging portion of the pasta over the filling, pressing around the filling slightly to seal it inside of the pasta. Repeat this process, but start with a line of filling on the other side of the pasta and another line in between where the first two lines of filling are.
Repeat those steps until you’ve run out of filling, you should end up with a total of 8 lines of filling woven into the pasta. Use scissors or a knife to trim away any excess pasta.
Cover the whole pan with plastic wrap, then chill for 6 hours, or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unmold the lasagna onto the pan, then cut it into six 1 1/2-inch slices. Lay each slice flat onto the baking sheet, then top each with some grated parmesan.
Bake until golden brown and on the edges, 10-12 minutes. (Say one or more of your lasagna slices fall during baking, don’t worry about it! It’ll still taste great!)
Warm the spinach sauce when the lasagna is close to being done.
To serve, spoon a few tablespoons of the spinach sauce onto the bottom of 6 plates, then top with a lasagna slice.
I can guarantee you that this is unlike any lasagna you’ve ever had! It’s unlike any lasagna I’ve had, that’s for sure!
You have these browned, slightly crispy pasta edges that are also super tender, the ricotta filling is full of cheesy goodness with some salty, crispy bits from the ground prosciutto, and the spinach sauce adds a nice vibrant color and fresh flavor.
It’s one of those things that you have to taste to believe, so what are you waiting for? Go try making this woven lasagna yourself!
