Let's Ease Into Fall
Eat your greens: a cheater's Loaf Pan Spinach Lasagna and Parmesan Kale Chips
Welcome to Cooking Lessons, a weekly newsletter of recipes to inspire you to get homemade food on the table and maybe learn a thing or two in the process. When I see a new subscriber in my inbox (free or paid) or when you share a post, my heart flutters just a little. Check out the index of recipes, all downloadable and ready to print. You’ll find my cookbook links here.
Well, Fall finally fell. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. We’ve been treated to warm sunny days and cool nights. It’s been an extremely smooth transition in an otherwise harsh and uncertain world. I’ll take it.
I know. I’m certifiably Weather Dependent. That term has not become a meme or a diagnosed condition…. yet. My fifteen minutes of fame is still out there waiting for me; I’ll joyfully accept the award for pioneering that particular disorder.
But let’s be real. What we eat is undeniably connected to the weather and the seasons. Do you really feel like eating a Salad Nicoise on a cold and rainy fall day? I think not. Besides, where would you find those juicy, local tomatoes in November?
Now that we’ve established that it’s time to turn on the oven again, I’ve got a couple of recipes for you to perk up your week. We’re all settling into new rhythms and routines now that summer’s over. It’s had its glitches, and I’ve felt a little disoriented. Does is seem to you that the sun’s been dropping below the horizon all of a sudden? I know it’s the same every year, but….
This cheater’s Loaf Pan Spinach Lasagna delivers plenty of comfort without much heavy lifting for times like these. You’ll use no-bake noodles, a jar of your favorite tomato sauce, pre-shredded cheese and fresh (no-prep) baby spinach, along with ricotta and Parmesan. It’s an easy-ish prep for a weeknight, and if you’re feeling ambitious, you could double the recipe and make a second loaf to freeze for later.
And now that you’ve added a green to your diet, wouldn’t two be better than one?
I can’t think of how to justify this, but I need snacks. I have to tell myself to step away from that bowl of potato chips. I can almost satisfy the urge with a bowl of kale chips. Almost. Like, I’m not equating kale chips with potato chips. That would be so wrong! (and also, a big fat lie.) But they are tasty, and so healthy. When I first made them, I only baked them for about 10 minutes, and they were crisp but also a little too chewy. I was about to throw them out but decided to pop them back in the oven. Presto! They ended up being hard-to-resist-crunchy. I’m only telling you this in case you undercook them. You can put them back in the oven, even if you made them the day before.
Now, for the recipes:
Loaf Pan Spinach Lasagna
Making a big pan of lasagna can be daunting –too much food for small households—but a loaf-pan casserole will be just right for two or three. Move things along quickly by using your favorite sauce from a jar, no-boil lasagna noodles, shredded cheese, and tender baby spinach. Cream cheese, fresh basil, and a touch of lemon add a luscious, surprising note to the ricotta filling. This lasagna was a top favorite at The Tao, a popular vegetarian restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana, where I once ran the kitchen. We called it “Spinach L” and it’s a big hit here at home too, now that our nest is smaller.
Loaf Pan Spinach Lasagna Recipe
Serves 3 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Bake time: 35 to 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil or spray, for the loaf pan
8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, about 8 cups packed
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 egg
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil (for the loaf pan)
4 no-boil lasagna sheets
2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Extra torn basil leaves (for garnish)
METHOD
1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Brush or spray a 4-by-8-inch loaf pan with oil. Have a rimmed baking sheet on hand. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
2. In a large bowl, pack in the spinach leaves. Pour boiling water over them (it may not cover them completely, but that’s okay.) Stir and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the leaves wilt. Drain in a colander. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess water with your hands.
3. In a bowl, stir the cream cheese, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, basil, lemon rind, salt, and pepper until blended.
4. In the loaf pan, spread about 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Top with 1 lasagna sheet. Spread with 1/2 cup sauce and dot with about 1/2 cup ricotta. Spread half the spinach on top. Add a second lasagna sheet. Spread 1/2 cup ricotta over it, and then 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Place a third lasagna sheet on top of the sauce. Dot with the remaining ricotta and remaining spinach. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce over it. Place a fourth lasagna sheet on top and spoon the remaining sauce over it. Sprinkle with the mozzarella.
5. Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet. Fold a large piece of foil in half and fold it in half again. Make a tent over the loaf pan (so it does not stick to the cheese.)
6. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and discard the foil tent. Turn the oven down to 375ºF. Return the lasagna to the oven. Continue baking for 20 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is golden brown. (If you like stretchy rather than browned cheese, check after 10 minutes.) Total baking time is 35 to 45 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with basil leaves, if you like.
Kale Parmesan Crisps
These crispy kale chips, toasted in the oven, provide a healthy option with just a few ingredients: kale, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. The bonus is that they only take about twenty minutes to make.
The sturdy leaves of curly kale are easy to find and hold up a little better than the more tender lacinato or red Russian kale varieties. To keep the kale from steaming in the oven and turning soggy, it’s important to thoroughly dry the leaves after rinsing them. Sandwich them between thick dish towels and pat them dry. You can pull the leaves off the thick stems with your hands or slide a very sharp knife along them. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces and massage them with olive oil. Sprinkle the leaves with Parmesan at the end of baking and return them to the oven for a minute or two more just to melt the cheese. Think about adding spices, such as smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, or chili powder at the end of baking. The curls of the kale look pretty in bowls. Set them on the kitchen counter for hungry kids after school or serve them with aperitifs when guests come.
Kale Parmesan Crisps Recipe
Makes about 6 cups | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 to 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 large bunch (about 1 pound) curly kale
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Maras or Aleppo pepper flakes
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, or to taste
Extra Parmesan, for sprinkling
METHOD
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have on hand 2 rimmed baking sheets.
2. Rinse the kale leaves. Spread them out between 2 dishtowels and thoroughly pat them until they are thoroughly dry. Strip the leaves from the stems with your hands or slide a sharp knife along each side of the stems to cut off the leaves. Tear them into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces.
3. Mound half the leaves on each of the baking sheets. Drizzle each sheet 2 tablespoons of the oil. With both hands, scoop up the leaves and rub the oil into them until they are coated all over. Spread them in one layer on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes.
4. Bake the kale for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the leaves look crisp all over. Remove them from the oven. Sprinkle them while hot with Parmesan, using 1 tablespoon for each sheet. Return the sheets to the oven. Continue baking for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Remove the baking sheets from the oven.
5. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, or until the leaves are crisp. Transfer them to a bowl. With a metal spatula, scrape up any little cheesy bits from the bottom of the pan and sprinkle them over the chips. Sprinkle them lightly with more Parmesan.
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I’ll be back with more soon!
Until next time…"
XXOO
Sally
When on staff at Holly Hill Farm in Cohasset as an educator, I had opportunities within various schools to work with students, using produce they had grown, for cooking demonstrations. Kale chips were a big hit...so tasty.