Daring Bakers Challenge : Lasagne
The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.
I had my first taste of lasagne when I was about ten. I still remember it, not for it’s culinary excellence, but because I was obsessed with Garfield at the time, and lasagne was Garfield’s favourite food. I also recall the moment clearly because I was in awe at my friend’s glamorous mother who, from her glamorous kitchen, pulled out this glass casserole dish of mysterious lasagne.
I have eaten a few more lasagnes since then. Mom would make us her deliciously inauthentic versions on occasion – my favourite bit was always the crispy golden crust on top. Somehow though, lasagne never equated to me as something I craved on a regular basis. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I ate, let alone baked, a lasagne.
Until, that is, this month’s DB challenge. The choice of lasagne took me by surprise, but I welcomed it with open, floury arms, relishing the idea of making a lasagne entirely from scratch. Pasta and all! Foregoing the purchase of a pasta machine, I decided to hand roll my pasta, which I knew would be a challenge unto itself, on account of my weedy arms. So I strugged, and broke into a sweat, and struggled some more. All this, whilst trying to channel my two very un-Italian/extremely-Chinese grandmothers; one of whom made noodles by hand on a daily basis for her large family, and the other still has the patience to make thousands of miniature deep fried spring rolls, each one thinner than a pencil. The end result, after much sponging of the brow and discrete swearing under the breath, was well worth the effort, with B giving the dish a big thumbs up.
Of the three recipes provided for this challenge, I completed two : the spinach pasta and the bechamel sauce. Instead of the ragu, I went vegetarian and opted to make a basic tomato sauce. Since the recipes are quite long, I’m only including the spinach pasta recipe in this post, which I would unhesitatingly make again.
(Pictured : Spinach pasta sheet, rolling pin, cutter and extra cloth for sponging brow)
Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde) :
(Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 450g dried boxed pasta; based on the recipe for the lasagne of Emilia-Romagna)
2 jumbo eggs (60g or more)
300g fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 170g frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
400g all purpose unbleached (plain) flour [I used Italian OO flour]
Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.
Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Stretching and Thinning:
With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.
Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.
Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 10 x 20 cm. Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!
Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.
Tags: Daring Bakers, lasagne
Reemski said,
March 27, 2009 @ 11:18 am
Yum, love lasagna, and the simpler the better I reckon…
Well done for even doing the pasta from scratch. I haven’t yet attempted that!
Courtney said,
March 27, 2009 @ 11:22 am
your lasagna looks beautiful. that is too funny you remember because of Garfield and your friends mom. i hope my kids friends love my cooking someday
isabelle said,
March 27, 2009 @ 11:49 am
c’est superbement réussi
Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella said,
March 27, 2009 @ 11:51 am
Looks great! And lol at Garfield. I think that was pretty much my first intro to Lasagne. My parents used to be fascinated by it too and would buy frozen lasagnes-the only frozen meals they’d ever buy. And I’d love the,m because it felt so exotic.
Caitlin said,
March 27, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
I agree – lasagna isn’t something I really crave, but this choice was fabulous. I loved the spinach pasta as well. Yours looks just perfect!
Cakelaw said,
March 27, 2009 @ 5:10 pm
This looks great Y! Vegetarian sauce would have been good, as it is quite a heavy ragu. I loved this too, despite my initial doubts.
Alli said,
March 27, 2009 @ 5:16 pm
Looks delicious! I still have some pasta & bechamel in the freezer so I might make the veggie one next.
Marija said,
March 27, 2009 @ 6:55 pm
Wonderful!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to participate this time
Foodie Froggy said,
March 27, 2009 @ 7:45 pm
Yummy ! Your pasta dough was particularly beautiful !
Zita said,
March 27, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
Ha… I still love garfield until now, beautiful lasagne Y
Christie @ Fig & Cherry said,
March 27, 2009 @ 9:11 pm
I had lasagna for lunch today! At the pub… yours looks much better
baking soda said,
March 27, 2009 @ 10:21 pm
they scream for lasagna in my house! beautiful dish!
Aran said,
March 27, 2009 @ 10:23 pm
it looks so good!!
Arwen from Hoglet K said,
March 27, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
Both your grandmothers sound so patient in the kitchen. I hope it’s something that develops with age, since I don’t have it now. Whenever I whip cream by hand I think of how my grandmothers can both whip through to the end, but I always have to have a rest. You must be developing excellent patience to roll this pasta so thinly!
Lee Tran said,
March 27, 2009 @ 10:54 pm
Gorgeous! Garfield would be proud!
Lisa said,
March 27, 2009 @ 11:00 pm
Great job all around, Y! Your lasagne looks decadent and perfect, and I love that photo of the pasta and cutter
Christy said,
March 27, 2009 @ 11:02 pm
Awww…you shouldn’t have mentioned your grandmothers! Now I feel like a slob for giving this month’s challenge a miss! And I’m a sucker for everything handmade, thus explaining the sense of shame and guilt I’m feeling right now.
Great lasagne, btw!! I can’t remember the first time I ate a lasagne, mustn’t have been too memorable because I usually have an acute awareness for good food. I’d sure like to taste yours!!
jo said,
March 28, 2009 @ 12:17 am
Great job on your challenge and the lasagne looks really delicious. Love your pictures as well.
sugar chef said,
March 28, 2009 @ 1:27 am
Good job on your lasagne and your pictures are so nice. I am actually very busy freelancing and had to miss this challenge. I feel really bad but I’ll be back next month.
linda said,
March 28, 2009 @ 2:02 am
Way to go to roll the lasagna by hand! Looks delicious!
courtney said,
March 28, 2009 @ 5:40 am
This challenge had me scratchingmy head at firts but Im so glad we did it. The best part was naking the pasta without the machine. I am eager to try this pasta again too with some other tyoe of veg./coloring.
Mary said,
March 28, 2009 @ 11:03 am
Garfield would be very happy this month. Your pasta looks delicious!
Sophie said,
March 28, 2009 @ 12:47 pm
I can’t remember when I ate it either
, but yes, I do remember Garfield’s obsession 
. Your noodles came out so so lovely!
Y said,
March 28, 2009 @ 2:53 pm
Thanks guys, for the comments! It’s definitely worth the effort to make this recipe in the future, even if you didn’t have time to complete it for this month.
isabelle : Merci!
Cakelaw : Yeah, I decided to go vegetarian, because it’s still quite hot at the moment, and I didn’t think a heavy meat ragu would be weather appropriate.
courtney : I’d like to try making a different flavoured/coloured pasta too. I was thinking squid ink
Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy said,
March 28, 2009 @ 4:03 pm
Your lasagne looks beautiful! And you got to build up your biceps in the process. Well done!
Shellyfish said,
March 28, 2009 @ 6:51 pm
Your photos are just beautiful! I remember Garfield loving lasagna, too!
George@CulinaryTravels said,
March 28, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
Beautiful lasagne, great job!
Rosa said,
March 28, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
Beautiful looking lasagne! You did a wonderful job!
Cheers,
Rosa
Maya said,
March 28, 2009 @ 10:21 pm
Was a huge fan of Garfield. I was under the impression that a pasta roller is a must for making pasta. Good job!
Sophie said,
March 28, 2009 @ 11:08 pm
Your lasagna looks so yummie
!!! MMMMMMMM…
Lauren said,
March 29, 2009 @ 2:54 am
Mmm, your lasagne looks amazing!! I love your pictures =D.
Jen Yu said,
March 29, 2009 @ 4:31 am
Such pretty pasta. I love the little lasagne you made!
gine said,
March 29, 2009 @ 5:45 am
Oh that looks amazing
!
Pat said,
March 29, 2009 @ 8:53 am
Your lasagna looks great! I loved Garfield too
My pasta came out very green as I used fresh spinach, cooked it very soft, and squeexed out all the water I could. It almost melted into the dough.
I love all your photographs! Very professional in appearance.
steph (whisk/spoon) said,
March 29, 2009 @ 8:56 am
you did your chinese grandmothers (and garfield) proud, i’m sure! looks fantastic!
Spike said,
March 29, 2009 @ 10:36 am
lasagna always makes me think of garfield!
Maggie said,
March 29, 2009 @ 11:22 am
The lasagna looks great! I always wondered what kind of lasagna Garfield ate, m cats wouldn’t even give it a sniff when I was a kid.
Chris said,
March 29, 2009 @ 1:35 pm
Yum! I didn’t make the ragu either. Will remember a veggie next time.
Looks delish!
Mary Alpineberry said,
March 29, 2009 @ 5:16 pm
Your spinach pasta sheets look absolutely perfect! PS: Yes, the texture of my deep fried pasta squares was very similar to that of deep fried wonton skins.
asti said,
March 29, 2009 @ 6:02 pm
The ragu is a LOT of work! Your lasagna looks great! I almost forgot about Garfield and lasagna. so cute!
sara said,
March 29, 2009 @ 6:07 pm
Looks fantastic! Love the baking dish. Gorgeous photos!
zorra said,
March 29, 2009 @ 6:20 pm
How are your arms? So, no fitness studio anymore?
art and lemons said,
March 29, 2009 @ 10:48 pm
What lovely flecked spinach noodles.
FFichiban said,
March 30, 2009 @ 12:59 am
Hee hee Garfield ^^! So much awesome just like your lasagne mmm!
Angela @ A Spoonful of Sugar said,
March 30, 2009 @ 6:20 am
Heh, I can’t remember if I had lasagne before I discovered Garfield, but the two definitely came close together in my childhood
Mum’s lasagne was great, but shhhh… mine is better!
Your lasagne looks awesome and I love the dish that you used!
Irene said,
March 30, 2009 @ 7:49 am
Oh, nice! That looks so beautiful! My mom was just telling me the other day how she used to roll out pasta (by hand!) when I was little.
shez said,
March 30, 2009 @ 9:57 am
the flecky green-ness of your spinach pasta looks stunning! and *BIG* claps for you for rolling it out by hand. i did some rolling yesterday and my arms ache like mad today… it’s a labour of love this pasta business is
Bread and Jam said,
March 30, 2009 @ 10:35 am
Yours turned out absolutely beautiful! I struggled getting my noodles that thin but you seem to have the knack. Very lovely blog you have.
Kasey said,
March 31, 2009 @ 5:08 am
The fact that you made spinach pasta is impressive in and of itself! The color is beautiful.
Audax Artifex said,
March 31, 2009 @ 10:58 am
What a great job you did on the recipe just love the colour of the pasta. And it must be hard when you have such expert noodle makers at home. Yours
clumbsycookie said,
April 1, 2009 @ 9:15 am
Great idea for a simple vegetarian lasagna! It’s gorgeous!
Hannah said,
April 3, 2009 @ 5:24 am
Wonderful! I’m so happy to see that you made it vegetarian, too!
Glutenagogo said,
April 3, 2009 @ 11:21 am
Simply beautiful! Great job on your lasagne.
Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go