Lasagna without stove-top cooking?

I am going to teach a course on making fresh pasta. Unfortunately, my demonstration kitchen currently has limited burners (but plenty of oven space), so I would like to make a lasagna that doesn't require any stove-top cooking. I am thinking of using a ricotta and egg based filling instead of béchamel, and de-frosted and drained spinach. What else would be good/would work? Perhaps thinly sliced zucchini or eggplant? Thanks for your suggestions!

CarlaCooks
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6 Comments

amysarah
amysarah August 23, 2015
You could roast zucchini, eggplant, onions or mushrooms before adding to the lasagna (just slice and brush with a little olive oil, salt and pepper) - adds flavor and reduces some of their liquid.
 
CarlaCooks
CarlaCooks August 23, 2015
That's a great idea! I'll need something to do while the dough rests, so chopping and roasting veg will work perfectly. Thanks!
 
Nancy
Nancy August 23, 2015
So you don't want to take up valuable stove-top real-estate either with boiling noodles or making a sauce, like bechamel.
1) despite the recent emergence of so-called "no-boil lasagna noodles" all dry pasta can be baked without first boiling it. So just layer the dry lasagne in your baking dish. You may want to add some more liquid to your usual recipe to ensure the dish is both cooked and moist when finished.
2) as vegetables have a lot of water in them (some obviously more than others), adding them to the baking dish will help with point #1 (adding more moisture to your baked pasta). Pick what you like and/or is available in the market (I've had good results with mushrooms, dark greens and sweet onions.) Also bolster the flavor with some pesto or other previously-made sauce and you're good to go.
 
Nancy
Nancy August 23, 2015
pardon me. only on re-reading did I remember the course is on fresh pasta. Still, you can layer fresh lasagne sheets, too, in the casserole without boiling
 
CarlaCooks
CarlaCooks August 23, 2015
Hi Nancy, thanks for your input. I realize the zucchini and spinach have a lot of water in them. I'm hoping that using de-frosted and drained spinach will help with that, but not totally sure for the zucchini (I could also sprinkle some course cornmeal around to help soak up the liquid).
 
Nancy
Nancy August 23, 2015
Carla - two further ideas, based on your message. To get more flavor into the zucchini and if it doesn't disrupt the plan for your class, saute them in advance in olive oil and garlic. Also, you can check the casserole partway through baking and add liquid (wine, broth, your choice) as needed.
 
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