Lasagna with Cheddar and Pea Tip Pesto
it's spring, I don't care what the temperature is outside
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Hello Comrades!
The funny thing about this lasagna is that it started out as a ravioli. I had developed a very spring-oriented pesto with Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar, blanched pea tips, and pistachios, and then decided to use it to fill fresh sheets of pasta. I was completely in love with the very first version of the pesto, but by the time I finished rolling out the pasta sheets, shaping the ravioli, cutting and crimping, boiling and saucing, I was super annoyed at myself.
Sure, the ravioli were super tasty, and I definitely ate all of them standing at my kitchen counter, but this round of development was a no-go. I had committed to a multi-step process and forgotten that recipes are wasted if no one goes to the trouble of making them. I didn’t want my exquisite cheddar pesto to die on that hill.
We love a good fail around here, right?? How else will progress be made? You can’t have a breakthrough without something to break through, amirite? I turned myself right around and created a spring lasagna using the same pesto and the addition of thin haricots verts (below). I felt way better about everything. For the final version, I switched to dried lasagna sheets and brightened the pesto up a little bit with some fresh mint and chives.
There’s no ricotta or béchamel in this lasagna, keeping it from feeling weighed down, and also eliminating a whole sub-recipe you’d have to make. Also: Cabot cheeses are naturally lactose-free, and by leaving out a fresh cheese like ricotta or mozzarella, and vetoing the white sauce, I kept the the whole dish safe for our lactose-intolerant friends. The layers are built with the pesto, tender beans, and grated cheddar. The end result is giving green pie in a pizza way, but lasagna.
If you can’t find spring pea tips, mature spinach or Swiss chard are going to work in exactly the same way; easy Spin It. Nut allergies? Switch to sunflower seeds (pepitas). You could definitely assemble this a couple of days before baking, and I’m psyched that total oven time is only 30 to 35 minutes. It will also double easily; switch to a 3- or 3 1/2-quart baking dish instead of the 2-quart capacity I used for the original version. Baking time could run 5 to 10 minutes longer in that case.
Is weeknight lasagna a thing? If not, can we make it a thing???
xoCLM
Spring Lasagna with Aged Cheddar and Pea Tip Pesto
4 servings
It’s my life’s goal to make sure everyone knows that pesto means a sauce that’s “pounded,” originally in a mortar and pestle. Basil, parm, and pine nuts may have been the chosen ambassadors to pesto’s international fame, but you truly have so much freedom when improvising on this type of sauce. You can pesto practically endless combinations of greens and herbs, cheese, nuts, and olive oil. (If you’re feeling creative, check out my pesto manifesto for the golden ratio and other helpful tips!) This lasagna was inspired by Cabot’s Vermont Sharp Cheddar, which is the nutty, melty, beautifully salty backbone to a springtime pesto made with blanched spring pea leaves and toasted pistachios. Instead of a heavy bechamel, I layered green beans between the layers of noodles, pesto, and grated cheddar, so you get a tender, snappy bite along with all the other textures.
Kosher salt; freshly ground pepper
8 ounces Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar, divided
8 cups (6 ounces) snow pea tips (leaves)
4 ounces haricot verts or thin green beans
10 dried lasagna noodles
⅓ cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 garlic clove
Handful chives and/or mint sprigs, thinly sliced
Softened butter, for baking dish
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
In the meantime, grate the cheddar on the next-to-smallest holes of a box grater. Set aside.
Cook the snow pea tips until the leaves are very tender at the thickest part, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a colander with a spider or slotted spoon and run cold water over them to cool. Cook haricots verts in same pot of water until just tender, about 3 minutes depending on thickness. Transfer to same colander with pea leaves and run cold water over to cool. Squeeze out excess water from pea leaves; then finely chop and transfer to a medium bowl. Pat haricots verts dry.
Cook the lasagna noodles in the same pot of boiling water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the time specified on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water; spread out on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet and turn to coat (this will prevent them from sticking).
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 425°F.
Transfer ¼ cup pistachios to a mortar and pestle and pound until finely ground (alternately, finely chop by hand, or use a mini chopper). Stir in 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Finely grate the garlic into the pistachio mixture and stir to combine. Scrape the pistachio mixture into the bowl with the pea tips and add ½ cup grated cheddar along with the chives and mint. Stir until everything is evenly distributed, then taste the pesto and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Reserve the rest of the cheddar for the filling.
Roughly chop the remaining pistachios and set aside.
Assemble the lasagna: lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish, then line with 3 lasagna noodles, overlapping slightly and trimming to fit if needed. Spoon a little less than half the pesto over the pasta and spread it out over the noodles (there may be some gaps here and there, which is fine). Arrange half of the haricots verts over the pesto in a single layer, then sprinkle a third of the remaining cheddar over the beans. Repeat noodle-pesto-haricot vert-cheddar layer a second time, holding back a couple spoonfuls of pesto.
Add a third layer of noodles, then spread the remaining bit of pesto on top. Sprinkle the last third of the cheese over and lightly coat with a drizzle of oil.
Cover dish with lightly greased foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the filling is hot and the cheese is just melted, 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the lasagna is hot in the center (check with a cake tester or paring knife), and the top layer of cheese is bubbling and browning, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Let lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it. Top lasagna with chopped pistachios before serving.
I love having the little mini video! Excited to try this out
what was the middle photo 😮