Matzoh Lasagna

I was determined to go with an Italian/dairy theme for Seder.  I had to look up how to do lasagna with matzoh because I've only done gluten-free.  Not the same thing.

And that brings up a good point.  Matzoh is not gluten-free, just tastes that way.  It is still made with wheat flour.  Gluten-free matzoh is available in many markets and online if that is a concern.  There are fewer strands of gluten in it because of how it's made, but there is some.  If you need ideas for a Seder, opening a gluten-free cookbook is an easy start.  Then you have to filter out anything with corn, rice, legumes, grains, oats, and mustard.  The mustard one surprised me, too.  Mustard greens are fine, just not the seeds.  I give up most of the time and just google an ingredient if I'm not sure.

No posted recipes had exactly what I was looking for, but most agreed on a general layering procedure and ingredient amounts.  I decided on the amounts for an 8" square pan.  It's easy because it's slightly larger than the matzoh sheet and you don't have to cut and paste, plus it makes about six servings.  You aren't going to end up with lasagna for 18, which was common because most people have way larger seders than mine.

2 C cauliflower florets
2 C sliced mushrooms
1 Tb olive oil
*1 clove garlic, minced
1 C ricotta
1 egg
1-1/2 C frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 24 oz jar pasta sauce (check ingredients for corn anything)
1 C shredded mozzarella (check that potato starch is the anti-caking agent)
1/4 C grated parmesan
*3 sheets matzoh

1.  Cut the cauliflower and mushrooms into small pieces.  They're replacing the ground beef, so that's the texture and size you're going for.  In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium.  Add the vegetables and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and most of the water has cooked out.  About 10 minutes.

2.  While that's cooking, combine ricotta, egg, and spinach.  Set aside.  Separately, combine mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

3.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Pour about 1/2 C sauce into bottom of 8" square baking pan.  If you skip this step, the bottom matzoh will stick to the pan.

4.  Run a sheet of matzoh under hot water until it starts to soften.  I actually got out a rimmed baking sheet and poured boiling water over it, like it was a sheet of rice paper.  If you forget this step, the matzoh will remain crunchy.  That may be what you're going for.  I was trying to get it to act like a noodle.

5.  Set the softened matzoh in the bottom of the pan.  Top with half the ricotta mixture, then half the vegetables, another quarter of the jar of sauce, and a third of the shredded cheese.  Soften another sheet of matzoh and repeat.

6.  Soften the third sheet of matzoh and place on top.  Press down slightly to make sure everything is evenly distributed.  Top with the last of the sauce, followed by the last of the shredded cheese.  Cover with foil.

7.  At this point, you can refrigerate the lasagna to bake later if you want to get the prep out of the way early in the day.  Keep in mind that letting it rest means you won't get crunchy matzoh.  That wasn't my goal, so I prepped several hours in advance.  Bake for 30 minutes with the foil on, then another 10 without the foil to toast up the cheese.  Allow to cool until it isn't bubbling before serving.

Serves 6-8

Difficulty rating :)