Broken lasagna sheets cook right in the pot here, layered with summer squash, spinach, and a trio of cheeses. Because the noodles simmer in broth instead of being boiled first, the dish comes together with less cleanup while still giving you tender pasta. Yellow squash and zucchini add color and a gentle sweetness, frozen spinach contributes extra vegetables, and ricotta turns creamy beneath browned, bubbling mozzarella and Parmesan. It has the appeal of lasagna but fits a weeknight schedule, and using vegetable broth in place of chicken broth makes the whole thing vegetarian.
Info
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 medium or 3 small summer squash (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), such as a combination of yellow squash and zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (see Cook's Note)
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces fluted (ruffled) lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large braiser, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until they soften and the edges of the slices start to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the thyme and red pepper flakes and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in the sliced squash and the drained spinach. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the squash starts to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, then add the broken lasagna pieces, stirring gently so that some of the noodles end up beneath the zucchini and liquid. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot, move it to the center of the oven, and bake until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Carefully uncover the pot. Spoon large dollops of ricotta over the pasta and vegetables, then scatter on the mozzarella, Parmesan, and a few cracks of black pepper. Return the pot to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts and bubbles, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Take the pot out of the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes. Finish with the lemon zest and serve.
Notes
A sharp knife works fine, but we found that a mandoline sliced the zucchini quickly and produced rounds of even thickness. We also used a mandoline for the garlic.
