Recipes to Try
NYTimes Sourdough Pizza Dough
5 cups/500 grams 00 flour
2 ½ teaspoons/15 grams kosher salt
2 ½ teaspoons/7.5 grams instant dry yeast
1 tablespoon/15 grams extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons/90 grams sourdough starter "fed”
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together 300 grams (about 1 1/4 cups) lukewarm tap water, the instant dry yeast and the olive oil, then stir the sourdough starter into it and pour it into the bowl with the flour mixture. Knead with your hands until well combined, about 4 minutes, then let mixture rest for 15 minutes.
Knead rested dough for 3 to 4 minutes. Cut into 3 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Place on a heavily floured surface, cover with a dampened cloth and let rest and rise for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (Remove from refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)
To make pizza, place each dough ball on a heavily floured surface and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds or squares. Top and bake.
Japanese Condensed Milk Cheesecake from the D Family
*8" round cake
5 yolks
1 egg
84g cake flour - sieved
84g condensed milk
200g cream cheese
58g canola oil
Pinch of salt
4tsp lemon juice
5 egg whites
75g castor sugar
1tsp lemon juice
Preheat oven to 170C and prepare baking tins (lined bottom and grease sides) for waterbath.
Melt cream cheese by double boiling over stove. Once melted, whisk lightly to a smooth consistency. Set aside.
Sieved flour, then add in salt. Set aside.
Mix yolks, 1 egg and condensed milk until well combined. Set aside.
Heat oil over stove. Once done, drizzle over sieved flour and quickly mix to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Pour yolk mixture into the cream cheese, mix well, then add in flour mixture, mix well then add in 4tsp lemon juice, whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Beat egg whites until foamy, add in 1tsp lemon juice, then add sugar in 3 batches. Continue beating until attain firm peak.
Fold in meringue to the yolk mixture by several batches. Be sure to fold till you don't see any streaks of meringue.
Pour in batter to baking tin, tap few times on table top to release air bubbles.
Send to bake by waterbath method. 170C for 20min, then 160C for another 45min.
Once done, invert to cool for 5min and remove mould. Then revert back upright to cool completely.
Japanese Condensed Milk Bread from the D Family
200g high protein flour
15g condensed milk
120 milk
20g castor sugar
3g instant yeast
20g salted butter
Filling/Sticky Sauce
20g condensed milk
20g salted butter
Topping:
Almond flakes
Icing sugar
Mix all ingredients for bread dough in the mixing bowl (except butter).
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, add butter and knead until smooth n elastic.
Cover and let the dough proof until double in size.
Once completed proofing, punch out the air in the dough, flatten the dough and roll out into a rectangle size approximately 12″ x 8″.
Cut into four strips. Apply the sticky sauce on the dough strips and stack up layer by layer.
Cut the stacked dough into small portions.
Grease the chiffon pan and arrange the dough in the pan and let it rest for final proofing.
Egg wash the top of the dough and sprinkle with some almond flakes or nuts (if u wish to).
Bake in preheated oven at 170C for 20- 25 minutes.
Dust with some icing sugar once it has cooled down.
Vermont Cheddar Gourgeres
Suggested by Maryellen
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat butter and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until butter is melted and mixture comes to a low boil.
Turn heat to low, add flour, and stir vigorously until mixture coheres and pulls away from the sides, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
Add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each. Dough will separate after each addition; keep stirring until it forms a smooth paste. Stir in cheese, nutmeg, and pepper (the dough should still be hot enough to melt the cheese).
Drop mixture in heaping teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet (for a prettier presentation, you can pipe the batter into 1 1/4-inch mounds). Bake until puffed and brown, about 30 minutes. For extra-crisp puffs, pierce each one with a knife, then turn off the oven and put the puffs back in for 10 minutes.
Hawaiian Butter Mochi
1 stick unsalted butter melted
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
16 oz mochiko flour 1 box
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 can evaporated milk 12 oz
1 can coconut milk 14 oz
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 9x13 inch pan.
Mix the melted butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla. Pour in the mochiko and add the baking powder. Stir until mostly combined. Stir in the evaporated milk, stir in the coconut milk. When batter is totally smooth, pour into pan and bake for one hour.
Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove from pan and cut into pieces on a cutting board.
Rabbi Brian’s Homemade Matzah
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons honey
4 large eggs, beaten
4 teaspoons olive oil
8 tablespoons water
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper and whisk. Add the beaten eggs, honey and olive oil, and just enough of the water to make a very dry dough. Mix well, but do not overmix.
3. Divide into 12 equal portions and shape into balls. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to shape each ball into a thin disk, about 8 inches in diameter. Pierce all over with a fork, dough docker, or pattern tracing wheel
4. Bake on a sheet pan or cookie sheet for 10 minutes, or until matzos are puffed and begin to brown. Cool on racks. Should yield 12 8-inch matzos."Eat, remembering that freedom is found on the inside."
NYTimes’s Earl Grey Teacake with Dark Chocolate and Orange
FOR THE FROSTING:
¾ cup/180 milliliters heavy cream
2 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea
¼ cup/30 grams confectioners’ sugar
½ cup/115 grams mascarpone or softened cream cheese
FOR THE CAKE:
½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1 ½ cups/190 grams all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature
¼ cup/45 grams chopped dark chocolate
Prepare the frosting: In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup/120 milliliters heavy cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the tea, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and chill the remaining cream until completely cold, at least 1 hour.
Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, tea, baking powder and salt.
In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour mixture on low, until just combined, then beat in the milk. (Don’t overmix.) Add the chocolate and fold it in using a spatula. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake just until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then tip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.
To finish the frosting, add the remaining 1/4 cup/60 milliliters cream and the confectioners’ sugar to the tea cream. With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream mixture until medium-stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat just until stiff peaks form. (Do not overmix.) Top the cake with the frosting to serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; let come to room temperature before serving.
Vegan blueberry ice cream recipe
1/2 cup to 1 cup frozen blueberries
oat milk (or your non-dairy milk of choice)
1. Put frozen blueberries in a bowl.
2. Pour in just enough milk to cover the blueberries.
3. Stir, then let it sit for a few minutes. It will start hardening like ice cream. You can always use less or more milk, depending on how you like it.
4. Once it’s at your desired consistency, eat it by the spoonful. (You can mash it a bit if you like but it’s good to go once the oat milk solidifies.)
NYTimes’s Basic Mason Jar Ice Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
A 16 oz Mason jar, of course.
1. Pour the cream, sugar, vanilla and salt into the jar, and screw on the lid tightly.
2. Shake vigorously, until the cream thickens and almost doubles in size, which should take about five minutes. You’ll know you’re done when the mixture doubles in volume and is about the consistency of brownie batter.
3. Freeze for at least 3 hours. Then eat. You’re welcome.
Or, add a twist
You could, if you’re daring, spruce it up. Here are some ideas on what to add to the recipe above.
Berry Ice Cream. If you want the flavor mixed-in, blend ½ cup of fresh berries and add it to the mixture before you freeze it. (You can also cheat: a tablespoon of jam will work.) If you prefer chunks, cut up the berries. Voilà .
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Add 1 teaspoon of peanut butter to the mixture and shake. If you want the chocolate blended in, squeeze in 1 teaspoon of syrup. But if you’re going for a marbled effect, swirl in the syrup at the end and give your mixture a quick stir with a spoon.
Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream. Add 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice and honey. To infuse the tea flavor, take ½ cup of the cream. Heat it, and steep two bags of Earl Grey tea. Remove them. When the cream cools, add it to the jar and shake.
Chunky Chocolate and Nut Ice Cream. The nuts are easy: Add 1 tablespoon of whatever kind of nuts you choose. (Pecans are buttery and yummy. Just saying.) Add chocolate pieces. A note: Mini-chips will work better than chunks. You’re only making a little bit, after all.
Rosemary Olive Oil Ice Cream. Whoa, right? Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, which will make the ice cream extra creamy. As with the Earl Grey version, heat up half the cream and add four sprigs of fresh rosemary. Strain, cool, add, shake, freeze and eat.
The possibilities are endless. For caramel ice cream, just chop candies into the mix. For banana, blend it first. Coconut is a no-brainer, but make sure the pieces are small and fine. (A pinch of salt on top brings out the flavors.) It will be delicious. It’s ice cream, after all.
Chocolate Sour Cream Coffee Cake by Smitten Kitchen
1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces or 115 grams) at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
FILLING AND TOPPING
2 cups or 12 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together into a separate bowl. Alternately mix in sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture until both are used up and the batter is smooth and very thick. In a medium bowl with clean beaters, beat eggs whites until stiff, then fold gently into batter.
In a small dish, combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar for filling and topping.
Spread half the cake batter in the bottom of prepared pan and spread smooth. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon-sugar mixture and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Dollop remaining cake batter over filling in spoonfuls. Use a rubber or offset spatula to gently spread it over the filling and smooth the top. Sprinkle batter with remaining cinnamon-sugar and remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan.
Do ahead: I do *not* cover this when storing it (at room temperature because) I don’t want to lose the crackly top.
Coconut Macarons Two Ways
In a bowl, whisk the egg (white or whole) until frothy. Add 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut to the egg white, or a half-cup each coconut and ground almonds to the whole egg. You can use almond flour, or you can grind the nuts yourself; if grinding yourself, you can make the whole thing in the food processor, so you don’t have to dirty a bowl. And if you have sweetened coconut, just use less sugar.
Mix in 1/4 cup sugar (2 tablespoons, if you used sweetened coconut), a pinch of salt and a flavoring. I used a dash of orange blossom water, but an extract — vanilla, almond, coconut, lemon, orange — would work. Some grated citrus zest is a good choice, too.
I let the mixtures sit for 30 minutes, so the coconut could absorb all the liquid. (Otherwise the egg sometimes pools at the bottom of the macaroons while they bake.) Then, I wet my hands to keep the mix from sticking and rolled them into balls. I placed some on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and some in mini-muffin tins. (You can grease the tins or line with paper holders.)
Then I baked them at 350 degrees for 13 minutes. My macaroons were small. If yours are large, it could take up to 20 minutes. Keep checking: They are done when the tops are firm and the edges golden.
Each batch yielded about 10 small macaroons, but you could double or triple the recipe, depending on your self-isolating situation. They are festive and cute, and you can embellish them by folding the likes of chocolate chips, pistachio nuts, candied ginger or chopped dried fruit into the batter. They don’t keep long, maybe a day or two before getting hard and crusty. But eating them quickly shouldn’t be a problem.
Smitten Kitchen’s Layered Yogurt Flatbreads
Heap these flatbreads with a simple salad, an egg, a saute of vegetables, or eat them as my kids do, warm from the pan with a little extra butter on top. Feel free to use this recipe as a springboard for other flavors — garlic, herbs, or spices.
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond, use half of another brand, here’s why)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plain, full- or low-fat yogurt (Greek or regular)
2 to 4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter, olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee (for assembly)
Make dough: Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add yogurt and the first two tablespoons of water and stir to combine — you’ll have to mash it a bit to get it mixed in. For plain, non-Greek yogurt, you might need 1 more tablespoon of water to bring it together. For Greek, I needed 2 more tablespoons. Mix as best as you can with a spoon and then, if you can reach your hands into the bowl, use them to bring the dough together into a rough ball. Transfer — along with any unmixed bits — to your counter and knead into a smooth ball, about 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly flour a spot on the counter, place the ball of dough on top of it, and upend the empty bowl over it. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Layer dough: Divide dough into 8 wedges. Working with one at a time, very lightly flour your counter and roll out each into a round or oblong shape as thin as it will go — usually about 6″ in diameter. Brush thinly with 2 teaspoons butter or oil. Roll dough away from you into a thin cylinder, then wind each cylinder into a coil (it will look like a sideways snail). Place each coil of dough back on a floured spot and cover, resting for another 15 to 20 minutes; repeat with remaining pieces of dough.
Heat your oven to 300 degrees F and have a big baking sheet ready. (Flatbreads fully cook on stove, but you can keep them warm and lightly puffed in the oven.)
Cook flatbreads: Working with one coil at a time, roll into a thin round (about 5″). Brush the top with more butter, you can be a bit more generous here. Repeat with as many flatbreads as you think you can fit in your pan; leave the remaining coils continue to rest, covered.
Warm a frying pan over medium-low heat. Flip flatbread butter-side-down onto pan and cook until a deep golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Brush the top with more butter as it cooks on the first side, then flip and continue cooking until the same deep golden brown on the second. Transfer to baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Continue this process with the remaining coils and flatbreads.
Do ahead: These layered yogurt flatbreads keep perfectly in the fridge; I wrap mine in foil. Rewarm in a 300-degree oven for about 10 minutes.
Dalgona coffee
1 tablespoon of instant coffee or instant espresso
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of water
Milk (dairy or nondairy will work here equally well)
Add the instant coffee, sugar and water to a bowl and whisk vigorously (or use a hand blender if you have one to make it a much easier process) until the mixture becomes superthick -- it should hold a similar consistency to whipped cream with somewhat stiff peaks -- and turns a subtle golden-brown color.
Pour milk into a glass filled with ice cubes, then scoop the pillowy mixture on top of the cold milk or mix the two parts together if you're looking for more of a latte situation.
You can also dress it up with variations, like mint in the milk layer, or dalgona coffee foam over a different beverage -- like iced coffee or cold chocolate milk -- even sprinkles on top. It's a fun, lighthearted drink, so have fun with it
Biang Biang Mian
Biang Biang Mian (Hot Oil Noodle) - a very interesting and popular dish in Shaanxi province.
Noodle dough
300 g all-purpose flour , 2 cups
2 g salt
130 ml to 140ml water
Assemble the noodles
2 tablespoons chili powder+pinch of salt
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 garlic clove , minced
2 green onion , minced
green vegetable for blanching
2 tablespoons vegetable cooking oil
oil for brushing
To make the noodle dough”
In a large bowl, mix salt with flour. And stir in water by batches. I usually add 130ml firstly and then see whether the dough is too tough to knead. Less water indicates a chewier taste. Grasp everything by hand and continue kneading the dough until smooth. Forcefully please or resort to a standard mixer. Cover with plastic wrapper and rest for 20 minutes.
Knead the dough again for several minutes until the surface is really smooth as I show in the video. Cover with plastic wrapper again and rest for another 15-20 minutes
Prepare a plate and brush some vegetable oil on surface. And then cut the noodle dough into halves and each half into 6 portions (as equal as possible and cover the other half with plastic wrapper to avoid drying out ). So we will end up with 12 portions. Shape each one into a long log and brush oil around. Cover with plastic wrapper and let the noodle strip log rest for 1 hour.
Take one portion out, flat it and roll out to a rectangle. Press the center with a chopstick so we can separate the noodles later. Hold the two ends of the noodle strip and smash it against the operating board. You can slightly stretch it during the smashing process. But do not hurry; slow down so that you will not break it.
And the separate the noodles along with the chop sticker trace.
To cook and assemble the noodles
Boil water in pot and add noodles in. If you feel they shrink, stretch each strip slightly. Bring the large pot to boil.
Add cold water once after it boils again. And then add green vegetable to blanch. The whole process of cooking lasts for around 4 minutes. Transfer out to serving bowl.
In the mean time, heat up 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a small pot until slightly smoky.
Place garlic, green onion and chili peppers on top and pour the hot oil over the noodles (mainly on the chili powders). Add soy sauce and vinegar and combine well.
Chinasichuanfood.com
Triple Vanilla Bundt Cake
16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly grease a 10-cup or 12-cup Bundt pan (I always use a baking spray for Bundt pans; I find this is better than butter for ensuring the cake doesn't stick).
Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then both vanillas.
Whisk together the salt, baking powder, and flour. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk. Once all the ingredients are added, mix until the batter just comes together.
Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. A tester inserted in the center should come out clean, and the cake should be a golden brown but not too dark.
Remove from oven and let the cake cool for about 10-15 minutes before flipping it over and turning it out of the pan. If it seems to be sticking, try running a knife delicately into the edges as far as you can (if you're using a regular-shaped pan, this is easy! It's tricky with a Bundt pan). Let the cake cool before slicing.
Edible Cookie Dough
For the Base Cookie Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Chip Dough:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Make the Base Cookie Dough:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spread flour on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Let cool slightly (flour should still be warm to the touch), about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in milk and vanilla. Add warm flour and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until dough separates, then comes back together, about 30 seconds. Chill 10 minutes.
Make the Chocolate Chip Dough:
Mix base cookie dough and chocolate chips with a spatula in a large bowl. Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, divide dough into balls and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Chill at least 30 minutes
Stuffed Bread
I'm thinking of stuffing it with cooked ground turkey and cheese, to make a "cheeseburger" bread like we used to get bun-sized in elementary school.
Ingredients for 1.5 pound loaf
1 1/8 cup water
3 cup bread flour
1 1/2 tbsp dry milk
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp yeast
Filling:
1 lb baked ham
1 pound provolone (I used Swiss the other day)
1/2 pound of American.
I have a dough setting on my machine and this is what I use. When the bread is done, I roll it out as thin as I can get it in an oblong shape. Then layer on approx. 1 lb baked ham, 1 pound provolone (I used swiss the other day), 1/2 pound of American. Alternate the
layers. I don't think I use quite the full amounts because I find it is too much, but you can decide how much stuffing you like. Stretch the edges up to middle and seal ends (moisten, pat, seal).
Bake seam side down. Make shallow cuts in the top. Heat 450 for 20 minutes.
JTG
Quick and Easy Pickles from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum
1 ½ lb Kirby or Persian cucumbers*
2 teaspoons pickle spices (combine equal amounts of black peppercorn, mustard seeds, cloves, and dill)
1-2 cloves of peeled garlic (optional)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
2 mason jars with lids (pint-sized)
*You can substitute another vegetable for cucumbers—carrots, radishes, peppers, or green beans!
Wash and dry cucumbers (or other vegetables.) Leave veggies whole, cut into spears, slice them into coins—whatever you prefer.
Add the spices to jars and pack the vegetables into jars.
Combine vinegar, water, and salt in pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and let cool for 30 seconds. Pour brine over veggies, filling each jar to ½” from the top.
Let jars cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Wait at least 48 hours before opening. Pickles will keep for several weeks. The longer they stay in the jar, the more sour they will get.
Samin Nasrat's NYTimes BIG LASAGNA!
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (if using fresh spinach)
1 pound fresh mature spinach, washed and ends trimmed, 1 pound baby spinach, or 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed
Fine sea salt
2 pounds whole-milk or part-skim ricotta (about 4 cups)
6 ounces grated whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella, provolone or even string cheese (2 cups)
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago or Grana Padano (1 heaping cup)
20 large fresh basil leaves (from 1 bunch), finely chopped (about 3/4 cup), 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley or chives, 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
FOR THE BÉCHAMEL:
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Ground nutmeg (optional)
FOR THE ASSEMBLED LASAGNA:
4 ½ cups
Simple Tomato Sauce (below) or 32 ounces store-bought marinara sauce (preferably without added sugar)
Fine sea salt
1 recipe
Homemade Lasagna Sheets, (below) 16 fresh store-bought lasagna sheets, 2 (9-ounce) packages dried lasagna noodles (preferably without curly edges) or no-boil noodles (boiled until al dente)
1 ½ ounces grated Parmesan, Asiago or Grana Padano (1/2 cup)
3 ounces grated whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella, provolone or even string cheese (1 cup)
Prepare the ricotta filling: If using fresh spinach, set a large skillet over high heat. (If using thawed frozen spinach, skip to Step 2.) When hot, add 2 tablespoons oil and half the fresh spinach. Season with a pinch of salt and sauté to wilt. Cook until stems are tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and allow to cool in a single layer. Repeat with remaining spinach.
While spinach cools, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and a generous pinch of salt in a large bowl.
Taking handfuls of the cooled or thawed spinach, squeeze out as much water as possible, then chop finely and add to cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly, then taste and adjust seasoning for salt. (Filling makes about 6 cups.) Cover and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna. (Ricotta filling can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before assembling lasagna.)
Prepare the béchamel: Set a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add butter. Once butter has melted, whisk in flour, reduce heat to very low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent browning. After the mixture foams a bit, it will visibly transform — the butter will separate, the bubbles will reduce in size, and the mixture will look like freshly wet fine sand. Whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk. Increase heat to medium and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg (if using) to taste.
Return heat to low. Continue cooking, whisking regularly, for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and smooth, with no raw flour flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. If béchamel is lumpy, strain through a fine sieve or purée with an immersion blender. (You’ll have about 3 1/2 cups.) Press a piece of parchment or plastic against the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming and set aside until ready to assemble lasagna. (Béchamel can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered directly and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before using.)
Prepare the lasagna: Position the highest rack in the oven so that it sits about 6 inches below the top. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
If tomato sauce, béchamel and ricotta filling are cold, bring to room temperature or warm them as needed.
Set a large pot of water over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Set a large colander in a baking dish and place near stove.
Season the boiling water generously with salt until it tastes like sea water. Carefully lay one sheet of pasta on the water’s surface. Let it be completely immersed in the boiling water, using a slotted spoon to gently it push down if needed, before adding the next sheet. Add two more pasta sheets in this way and cook for about 2 minutes, or until light in color, floppy in texture and completely cooked through. If pasta bubbles above the water's surface, use a slotted spoon to encourage it back in. Use a sieve to gently remove pasta from the water and into the prepared colander. Rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle, then begin assembly. Continue cooking, draining and rinsing pasta two or three sheets at a time as you assemble lasagna.
Spoon about 3/4 cup béchamel into a 9-by-13-inch metal, glass or ceramic baking pan, and use a rubber spatula or your hands to generously coat bottom and sides of pan with sauce.
Gently squeezing any remaining water from the pasta, use two or three sheets to entirely cover the bottom of the pan with minimal overlap, and leave ends hanging over sides. (They’ll be helpful for sealing the top.) All four sides need not have overhang; two is plenty.
Crumble about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture evenly over pasta to create foundation, then layer with sheets of pasta from edge to edge of pan. Use kitchen shears to help trim pasta to appropriate size and avoid overlap.
Spread about 1/3 of the tomato sauce over next layer and cover with pasta.
Spread about 1 cup béchamel evenly over next layer, sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, and cover with pasta.
Repeat with remaining layers: ricotta, tomato sauce, béchamel and Parmesan, ricotta, tomato sauce, béchamel and Parmesan, following each with a layer of pasta. (If using thicker noodles, you might not be able to fit 8 layers of noodles in the pan. If using store-bought or dried pasta, you can skip the noodle layer between the ricotta and tomato sauce as needed to prevent the lasagna from stretching higher than the top of the pan.)
For the top, fold overhanging pasta over a whole sheet to create a sealed pasta layer, then spread with remaining béchamel. Gently cover lasagna with a piece of parchment and wrap tightly with foil. Place onto a baking sheet to catch any overflow and bake on prepared rack.
After 40 minutes, pull lasagna from oven and carefully remove foil and parchment. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and return to oven until golden brown and bubbling on surface, about 20 minutes.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Leftover lasagna can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 4 days. To freeze, bake 30 minutes but do not brown, then cool, and freeze for up to 4 weeks. Defrost, then sprinkle with mozzarella and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling on surface.
SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups diced yellow onions, red onions or shallots
Fine sea salt
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled, diced, crushed or puréed tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
4 to 5 basil stems (optional)
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
Set a medium Dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat, and add 4 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add onions and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring regularly, until onions are lightly golden and tender, 16 to 18 minutes.
In the meantime, pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and use hands to crush, if using whole tomatoes. Pour about 1 1/2 cups water into the can and swirl to rinse any remaining purée off the sides. Add the water to tomatoes in bowl and set aside.
Once onions are soft and golden, add garlic and cook, stirring, until it threatens to turn golden, about 90 seconds. Add tomato paste, if using, and cook until color deepens, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and season with salt. If using, add basil stems and red-pepper flakes. Stirring regularly, allow sauce to come to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until sauce tastes savory and all raw tomato flavor is gone, about 45 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Use a hand blender to purée, pass through a food mill or let cool, then purée using a blender or food processor. Tomato sauce can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated or frozen up to 3 months.
HOMEMADE LASAGNA NOODLES
4 cups/510 grams 00 or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 whole large eggs
5 to 6 large egg yolks
Mound the flour in the center of a large mixing bowl. Dig a well in the center of the mound and add the whole eggs and 5 yolks. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. The dough will start to come together in a shaggy mass when about half the flour is incorporated.
Use your fingers to continue to mix the dough. Press any loose bits of flour into the dough. If needed, add another egg yolk or a tablespoon of water to absorb all of the flour.
Once the dough comes together into a cohesive mass, remove it from the bowl and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by hand until smooth, elastic and uniform in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
Cut off a quarter of the dough. Rewrap the larger portion and set aside. Use the heel of your hand to flatten the small piece of dough into an oval approximately the same width as your pasta machine, about 6 inches wide. Set the rollers to their widest setting and pass the dough through.
Lay the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board or countertop and neatly press together into halves, so it’s again about the same width of the pasta machine. Feed the pasta through again at the widest setting. Think of these first rollings as an extended kneading. Continue to fold the dough in thirds and roll it until it is smooth, silky and even-textured. Do your best to make the sheet the full width of the machine.
Once the dough is silky and smooth, you can begin to roll it out more thinly. Roll it once through each of the next two or three settings, adding flour as needed, until the dough is about 1/4-inch thick.
Once the pasta is about 1/4-inch thick, begin rolling it twice through the next thinner settings. As you roll, lightly sprinkle flour on both sides of the pasta to prevent it from sticking to itself.
Roll out pasta until you can just see the outline of your hand when you hold it under a sheet, about 1/16-inch thick. (On most machines, you won’t make it to the thinnest setting.)
Cut pasta into sheets, about 13 inches long. Dust the sheets lightly with flour, stack on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a clean, lightly dampened kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.
