I usually make my lasagna properly: layer upon layer of homemade basil scented tomato sauce thickened with stewed beef, pasta, Parmesan Bechamel (L. does not like ricotta so that is my substitute) and shredded Mozzarella...repeated until a final layer of tomato sauce is topped with Parmesan and Mozzarella. The whole thing is then put in the oven until bubbling and fragrant and the cheese crust gets crispy around the edges. A lovely dish which takes time to prepare.
I also make a lovely green lasagna with goat cheese but it is the fall and I wanted meat and tomato and the word hearty kept on coming to mind. This particular lasagna recipe was not the one I planned on making and it came to life due to several different factors (namely that, having gotten around to it later than expected, I was in a hurry to get dinner on the table and also realized at the last minute that I had no homemade tomato sauce in the freezer, a rare omission that will be remedied ASAP).
L. was not a huge fan of the dried mushrooms but I thought the recipe turned out wonderfully and I really enjoyed the heartiness of the sauce as a foil to the noodles. The Worcestershire sauce was an inspired addition as it really intensified the meatiness that I was looking for here and added depth of flavor and, combined with the fennel seed, a tiny kick of heat hence the "spicy" in the title. I had planned on adding basil and Italian parsley but didn't, and am glad of my choice; they would have been overpowered by the bold flavors in the sauce. A glug of red wine could have been nice but I had none. Anyway, as far as I am concerned, this recipe is a keeper.
This recipe makes enough for my usual recipe for 4, with a nice portion left over for your lunch the next day and could probably stretch to 6 if you make a large, hearty (oh look, theres that word again...) mixed salad to go with it.
10 lasagna noodles
1 lb best ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I used brown crimini)
1 cup sliced dried mushrooms (I used cepes)
1 cup beet greens (or kale or spinach). I used beet greens because I had just cooked beets and had them available
1 small can tomato concentrate (about 6 Tbsps)
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
1/2 tsp fennel seed, ground
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups boiling water
Place the sliced dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with the boiling water to rehydrate. Set aside.
Place the lasagna noodles in a dish long enough to hold them and cover with cold water. Set aside. Doing this rehydrates the noodles enough to save you from having to cook them prior to adding them to the lasagna casserole. One less step, one less pan and 20 minutes of faff cut from your prep time...
Place the olive oil, onion, garlic and fennel seed in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the ground beef and cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, stirring from time to time to break down chunks and keep the meat from getting crispy. This should take under 5 minutes.
Lower the heat and add the tomato concentrate, Worcestershire sauce, the mushrooms and one cup and a half of the water the mushrooms have been rehydrated in. You may wish to strain the water first as, depending on the quality and.or age of the mushrooms the water could be gritty. Stir well, salt to taste and let cook for 5 minutes or so to let the flavors marry.
Add the chopped greens, stir well, cover, remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350.
Drain the noodles into a colander.
Rather than make nice layers of sauce, noodles and cheese, I made roll ups in order to go faster. Lay out the noodles on your counter, spread a tablespoon or so of Parmesan over each one and several tablespoons of the meat sauce. This is not the time for exact measurements and messy is good. Roll each noodle up and place the bundles side by side in an oven-safe dish just large enough to hold them snugly.
Top with any remaining sauce. Spread with the shredded Mozzarella and sprinkle with any remaining Parmesan.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes or so until the dish is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden on top.
Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes before serving and enjoy.