Beet Lasagne (Click Tp Zoom)

I made something for you. I made a new recipe and it just so happens to be vegetarian. For real. I spent a lot of time thinking about beets today. . . probably too much time. I pondered their sweet, earthy flavor and jewel toned colors. I thought of my all time favorite beet dish: salad with goat cheese, beets, and hazelnuts. When beets and hazelnuts get together it’s pure magic, there’s just something special about that combo. My brain began to hurt as I tried and tried to come up with a unique and tasty recipe (I would be terrible on Top Chef, just not a quick thinker). Then it came to me- beet lasagna! I know it’s summer and you don’t want anything too rich or heavy. Please bear with me, I promise this dish is not super rich. How to make a lasagna that’s not heavy? Focus on just a few stellar flavors: beets and thyme, ricotta and lemon zest, burrata and hazelnuts.

Let’s break down the layers. First, ricotta to bind the lasagna. Lemon zest contributes the flavor and aroma of lemon without the acidity of lemon juice. Second, noodles. Third, boiled red beets (from my garden, oh yeah) sliced into disks and topped with fresh thyme (also from my garden). I thought of thyme perfuming the house as the lasagna baked. With so few ingredients in the recipe, the beet/thyme combo is pretty important. Fourth layer, burrata, a very soft, cheese made with Italian cow’s milk cream and pieces of mozarella (called stracciatella). This cheese is sweet, milky, and more decadent than the usual mozarella. If you’ve never tried burrata, definitely seek it out.

The layers of lasagna are repeated, and instead of topping it with cheese or bread crumbs, I was excited to use hazelnuts for some crunch. While the lasagna baked, I toasted the nuts on the stove top and crushed them. After pulling the lasagna from the oven the finishing touch was a sprinkling of hazelnuts. The lasagna was served over a bed of sautéed beet greens. By the way, this is a recipe serving 1 person. I love making mini-lasagnas with a few things I have on hand. Odds and ends are great for mini-lasagna. Just a couple of lasagna noodles in the cupboard? Is the last of a tub of ricotta languishing in the fridge? Leftover vegetables sitting in a tupperware? Make mini-lasagna! If you’re serving two just double the recipe.

Beet Lasagne Layers (Click To Zoom)

Beet Lasagna For 1

Ingredients

4 golfball sized red beets, tops removed and set aside
2 or 3 lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon hazelnuts, crushed
a handfull of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons ricotta
1 teaspoon lemon zest
extra virgin olive oil
1 ball burrata

Mis en Place

Toss the beats into boiling water until tender, about 15-20 minutes. When cool enough to touch, peel them and slice into disks. Set aside. Wash and roughly chop beet greens.

Boil lasagna noodles until al dente. Set the noodles on a plate and drizzle with a olive oil to keep them from sticking.

Remove the thyme leaves from the stems and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta and lemon zest. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to loosen the cheese up a bit.

Chill the burrata in the freezer for a few minutes, then slice a few pieces (about 4).

It’s Time To Layer!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

Butter a single serving lasagna or casserole dish. Spoon a bit of the ricotta mixture into the bottom of the dish. Place some noodles on top. Lay beet slices over the noodles. Sprinkle thyme leaves on beets. Place burrata slices over beets. Now put another layer of noodles on and spread the last of the ricotta over the noodles. It’s time for another layer of beet disks and a sprinkling of thyme. Top the lasagna with burrata slices and bake in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. While the lasagna bakes, toast the crushed in a small pan on the stove top until fragrant. Once lasagna is cooked, remove it from the oven and top with hazelnuts. Serve the lasagna over beet greens that have been briefly sautéed in olive oil with garlic.

Beet Lasagne Layers (Click To Zoom)