Sfoglia Lasagna

I know. Another carb-lovers-delight. I promise you I eat my greens but while I’ve got you, read on and indulge yourself in this heavenly recipe from the one and only Big Mamma Cucina Popolare cook book. (when you’re this obsessed with a restaurant, you obviously have to recreate each dish). 

Okay so down to the recipe - Sfoglia Lasagna is a ‘deconstructed lasagna’. The dish takes approximately an hour and a half to make however the book suggests you make your own pasta/dough and sauce which each have their own separate cooking times. I used the Pappardelle from Trader Joe’s and made my own sauce (a shortened version of their suggestion). I also substituted the pork sausage with beef sausage just out of preference.

Ingredients

200g/7oz sausage meat

1 tbs olive oil 

1 yellow onion (minced)

1 carrot (thinly sliced)

1 celery stalk (thinly sliced)

100 ml of white wine

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

200 ml/7oz tomato sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tbs olive oil 

1 eggplant

Pasta dough (thick noodle)

2 parsley sprigs

A few tarragon leaves

Parmesan shavings to garnish

Big Mamma Cucina Popolare Pg 196.

“Make the ragu. Sear the meat in a pan over a low heat for 10 minutes. Transfer to a sieve and let stand for 20 minutes while you cook the vegetables. 

Meanwhile, add the onion to the same pan and saute over a low heat for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the carrot and celery and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden. 

Deglaze the pan with the wine wine. Add the fennel seeds and tomato sauce, then return the sausage meat to the pan and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour. 

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat and fry the eggplant for 8 minutes or until golden. Set aside. Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and cook the pasta for the set time. Drain, but keep a cup or so of pasta water to mix in with sauce. 

Mantecare the pasta for 2 minutes in the pan with the ragu and fried eggplant. 

Serve in a large dish. Garnish with some parsley and tarragon leaves and parmesan shavings.”
Enjoy!