Jamie Oliver's holiday menu absolutely cannot miss baked pasta, as long as it is made with seasonal vegetables. Cauliflower and a substantial cheese reinforcement are the must-have ingredients of this intensely flavored dish, ready to green up the Christmas table. By omitting the anchovies, it is also possible to make a vegetarian version.
The dish
Who said that lasagna must necessarily involve the addition of meat? On the contrary, the very genesis of the recipe, as historian and researcher Luca Cesari recounts in this article counts, numerous " plain " versions, starting with the very first condiments elaborated by the friars (while in the Renaissance it was customary to offer this dish together with sumptuous banquet main courses , served in separate dishes). Returning to the present, Jamie Oliver -among the most beloved TV chefs ever- this year chose to churn out a tempting meat-free baked pasta for the holiday season.
The main ingredient? Cauliflower, made greedy by a substantial reinforcement of cheeses (Cheddar, blue “Stichelton,” Lancashire), enhanced in turn by a fragrant anchovy crumble . A perfect idea for Christmas Eve, lunch on the 25th, and -maybe- New Year's Eve dinner as well, aided by the green hues and stringy layers of the "special" first courses. Is something missing? Yes, of course: the addition of flavorings such as fresh rosemary, thyme, chili. And a lively white wine to harmonize the sulfurous note-we recommend a Falanghina or Sauvignon Blanc! The recipe is taken right from Oliver's website, where you will find many other ideas within the reach of everyone, experienced cook or not.
Ingredients
- 4 large leeks (only the white part)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ fresh red chili pepper
- olive oil
- ½ bunch of fresh thyme (15 g)
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 Romanesco cauliflower
- 125 ml dry white wine
- 1 small knob of unsalted butter
For the béchamel sauce
- 2 liters of whole milk
- 1 small bunch of mixed herbs, such as rosemary, sage, bay leaf, thyme (20 g)
- 75 g plain flour, plus flour for dusting
- 75 g butter
- 150 g Cheddar cheese, plus extra for grating
- 150 g Lancashire cheese, such as Mrs. Kirkham's
- 30 g blue cheese, such as Stichelton
For the pasta
- 500 g flour, type '00'
- 5 eggs from free-range hens
For the anchovy crumble
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 100 g stale bread
- 8 anchovies in oil
Procedure
To prepare the dough, pour the flour onto a pastry board or into a bowl. Make a “hole” in the center and break the eggs into it. Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth. Using your fingertips, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating them a little at a time, until everything is blended.
Knead for 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable, which should not be sticky. Cover with a bowl or cloth and let stand for 30 minutes.
Peel, wash and slice the white part of the leeks (keep the tops); peel and finely slice the garlic and also finely slice the chili pepper. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat with 4 tablespoons of oil, the garlic and chili pepper. Remove most of the thyme leaves, then add the leeks and season with sea salt and black pepper.
Roughly chop cauliflower into florets, coarsely chop some leaves and set aside. Slice finely and add the stems to the skillet, along with the wine and butter; turn up the heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they soften and begin to caramelize, stirring occasionally.
Add the flowers and leaves to the pan with 300 ml water. Season, lower the heat and cook with the lid on for 30 minutes, or until they soften and become sweet, stirring occasionally.
To prepare the béchamel sauce, pour the milk into a large pan over medium heat. Tie the herbs together with a piece of twine to create a bouquet, then add them to the pan, tying the end of the twine to the handle of the pan so you can easily fish it out later. Simmer gently for a few minutes while rubbing together the flour and butter in a small bowl.
Remove the bouquet garni, then add the butter and flour mixture, one small piece at a time, whisking continuously until smooth. Simmer until it begins to thicken, stirring occasionally-it will thicken further once the cheese is added.
Remove sauce from heat, grate and add Cheddar and Lancashire cheese, stir, season to taste with salt and pepper, then let cool.
Preheat oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
Prepare anchovy breadcrumbs: chop rosemary leaves and place in blender, add bread and anchovies, then blend until fine.
To roll out the dough, secure a pasta machine firmly on a clean, floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out one strip until it is flat, then begin rolling it out in the pasta machine to the widest measurement setting, dusting lightly with flour if it sticks.
Click the machine and roll out the dough again. Continue rolling the dough in the machine, working it through all sizes, from widest to narrowest, until you have a long 2 mm thick sheet of dough, dusting lightly with flour as you go.
Repeat with the remaining dough until you have 4 pasta sheets.
To compose the lasagna, arrange 2 long pasta sheets on the bottom of a deep baking pan (about 25 cm x 35 cm), leaving the excess pasta sheet outside the edges.
Cut the remaining sheets of dough into rectangles about 7 cm x 15 cm.
Add a layer of vegetables to the baking dish, followed by 4 generous tablespoons of bechamel sauce, a crumble of blue cheese, and a layer of pastry. Repeat the layers once more, then top with the rest of the vegetables, most of the remaining béchamel and fold over the overhanging pastry. Top with the remaining béchamel sauce and a grating of Cheddar.
Sprinkle with the anchovy breadcrumbs and bake on the bottom of the oven for 1 hour/1 hour 20 minutes, or until the lasagna is golden brown and a crust begins to form.
