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Prep time
40 minutes
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Cook time
1 hour 15 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
This recipe is very close to my heart, and as with many of my favorite recipes, I’ve tweaked it more times than I could count on two hands. In its first incarnation, I started with shell-on prawns, making a stock from the shells and an oil laced with habanero with the fried prawn heads. Rather than a béchamel, I made a homemade version of catupiry, a Brazilian cheese spread which is hard to describe and really needs to be tasted to be understood, because it tastes nothing like regular cheese spread.
This lasagna is the purest representation of me; a homage to the countries that have shaped me as a person and a cook. In its original form it was one part Italian (the pasta), one part Mexican (the habanero) and one part Brazilian (the catupiry). This particular version is simplified, no catupiry and no prawn head oil, but I hope you’ll agree that it’s still magical. —Ixta Belfrage —Food52
Test Kitchen Notes
Excerpted from Mezcla: Recipes to Excite by Ixta Belfrage ©Ten Speed Press, 2022 —Food52
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Prawn Lasagna With Habanero Oil From Ixta Belfrage
Ingredients
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For the prawn ragù:
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6 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
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1/2
white onion, finely chopped
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5
garlic cloves, crushed
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200 grams
sweet, extra ripe cherry tomatoes, such as Datterini, finely chopped
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1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
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500 grams
raw, shell-on king prawns, very finely chopped (about 1 kilogram if you’re starting with shell-on prawns—use the shells to make a stock)
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1
dried habanero chile
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80 grams
tomato purée or paste
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2 teaspoons
white miso paste
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2 teaspoons
freshly cracked black pepper
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100 grams
dry white wine
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500 grams
fish, shellfish, or chicken stock (unsalted liquid stock, not cubes)
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For the habanero oil:
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120 grams
extra-virgin olive oil
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2 teaspoons
tomato purée or paste
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1/2 teaspoon
chipotle chile flakes
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Dried habanero chilies, to taste
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1/2 teaspoon
ground sweet paprika
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1/4 teaspoon
fine sea salt
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For assembly:
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250 grams
fresh lasagna pasta sheets
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130 grams
double cream, plus 1 tablespoon to serve
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100 grams
parmesan cheese, finely grated
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10 grams
fresh chives, finely chopped
Directions
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Make the ragù: Put 4 tablespoons of the oil into a large sauté pan on a medium heat with the onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and fine salt. Fry, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and golden and the tomatoes have broken down.
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Increase the heat to high, add the chopped prawns and fry for another 8 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the prawn mince has taken on some color.
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Add the habanero, tomato purée/paste, miso, and pepper. Continue to fry for 3 minutes, stirring every now and then. Turn the heat down if the mixture starts to catch or burn.
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Pour over the wine and let it bubble away for 30 seconds. Add the stock (or water) and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the habanero, squeezing it into the sauce first if you like heat.
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Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the habanero oil into a small saucepan and place on a medium heat. Mix well and heat until gently bubbling, about 1½ minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Once cool, transfer to a clean jar (you’ll only need a couple of tablespoons for this recipe).
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Heat the oven to 395°F/200°C.
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To assemble the lasagna, cover the bottom of a small baking dish (about 8x8-inch square, or 20x20-centimeter) with the pasta sheets, then spread over ⅕ of the ragù. Follow with ⅕ each of the cream, Parmesan and chives. Continue layering in the same way until you’ve used up all the ingredients.
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Drizzle over ½ tablespoon of the habanero oil, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
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Increase the oven heat to 485°F/250°C, remove the foil and bake for another 12 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and the pasta is cooked through.
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Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Finish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream and a good drizzle of the habanero oil, and serve.
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