Attention, students, Knife + Cork is back is session! We’ve rolled up our beach towels, put away the sunscreen and are back from summer vacay to bring you all-new recipes and wine pairings for fall. You missed us, didn’t ya?
The Dish
Gluten Free Lasagna
Butternut squash “Noodles”2 Butternut squash peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (tops only, reserve the bottoms for another use)
olive oil
2 ounces of parmesan cheese (for topping)
Balsamic caramelized onions
3 Tablespoons of Olive oil
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
Pinch of salt
2 sprigs of thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Garlic spinach/Ricotta filling
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
1 pinch of chili flake
15 ounces of baby spinach leaves
20 ounces of part skim ricotta
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
Turkey sausage ragu
1 pound of Italian turkey sausage
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
36 ounces of your favorite store bought tomato sauce
Assembly:
Bonus! Watch Dean cook this recipe on The Couch on CBS This Morning:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/09/13/cooking-on-the-couch-gluten-free-lasagna-autumn-mimosas/#.UjZTh1T-imQ.tumblr
With this lasagna, the sweetness of the squash and onions call for something really fruit-forward to complement their flavors. So, here’s where my main philosophy of “drink what you love” comes into play. A red zinfandel would work really well with this dish; however, I don’t really drink red zin so I can’t give you a solid recommendation. As an alternative, I think a Cote du Rhone, a wine that I love, would pair nicely; the ripe berries would match those sweeter veggies and the medium to medium-minus body ensures the turkey doesn’t get lost in an uber-rich red. One solid option is Gallician Costieres de Nimes Prestige 2010 (approx. $14). The nose on this particular wine had ripe berries of cherry, raspberry and strawberry, but a bit of blueberry and a hint of earth also come through. The palate had the same fruit flavors but the spiciness of Syrah comes through. which can give a little edge of interest, especially with the turkey sausage. A bit of acidity keeps the tomato sauce in check.
Welcome back, class!
- Set oven to 400 degrees
- Toss the squash strips in just enough olive oil to coat and arrange in a single layer on sheet trays lined with parchment paper.
- Roast 15 minutes or just until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
Balsamic caramelized onions
3 Tablespoons of Olive oil
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
Pinch of salt
2 sprigs of thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large pan, add the onions gently toss to coat them in the oil
- Add the thyme and reduce the flame to a low and cook covered for about 30-40 minutes
- Once completely tender add the balsamic and cook covered for another 10 minutes, they onions should be caramelized and syrupy
- Transfer them to a bowl and set aside
Garlic spinach/Ricotta filling
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
1 pinch of chili flake
15 ounces of baby spinach leaves
20 ounces of part skim ricotta
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
- Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large pan, add the garlic and chili flake and sauté until golden, remove and discard the garlic but not the oil
- Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, remove from the heat and squeeze out the excess moisture
- In a large bowl, fold together with the ricotta and set aside
Turkey sausage ragu
1 pound of Italian turkey sausage
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
36 ounces of your favorite store bought tomato sauce
- Remove sausage from the casing.
- Brown sausage in medium saucepan grently breaking in apart.
- Remove the meat from pan and drain onto a plate lined with paper towel,
- Add mushrooms and cook until nicely browned, 7-8 minutes. Return the turkey sausage to the pan and pour the sauce over, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes or nice and thick
Assembly:
- Using a 13x9 pan, spoon a thin layer of sauce, then the butternut squash slightly overlapping, add half of the caramelized onions, followed by a thin layer of the spinach ricotta mixture, repeat until the pan is full. Finish with a layer of sauce.
- Lower oven to 350 degrees and bake covered with foil or 30 minutes
- Remove from the oven and grate the parmesan on top
- Allow to stand at room temp 5 minutes before cutting
Bonus! Watch Dean cook this recipe on The Couch on CBS This Morning:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/09/13/cooking-on-the-couch-gluten-free-lasagna-autumn-mimosas/#.UjZTh1T-imQ.tumblr
The Wine
Welcome back, class!