Cleaning out the fridge: goat cheese lasagna

In this installment of making dinner from scraps, I whip up a simple yet flavorful lasagna with goat cheese, gruyere and butternut squash pasta sauce. I took inspiration for the goat cheese sauce from Fine Cooking, the layering from Keep it Luce, and I used about half a bottle of Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce (which is delicious and dairy-free; I highly recommend it on gnocchi).

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Instructions:

To make the goat cheese sauce, I whisked 1/4 cup of flour in a sauce pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil (butter would have been better, but of course I didn’t have any). Next, I whisked in 3 cups of unsweetened almond milk and let it thicken for about 10 minutes or so. From there, I stirred in 5 oz. of goat cheese, 1/2 cup shredded gruyere, 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, and a couple clicks from the pepper mill.

Meanwhile, I toasted raw walnuts at 375 degrees in the oven, and then crushed them under foil with a rolling pin.

Then came the construction of the lasagna, using no-bake lasagna noodles. I used a 9×13 pan, but my lasagna came out very thin, so better to go with a smaller pan or double the recipe.

First, I layered 1/3 of the goat cheese sauce, followed by noodles, and 1/2 the butternut squash pasta sauce. Next, I added another layer of goat cheese sauce, noodles, and the pasta sauce. Then, I added a layer of toasted walnuts. (Note: I was also conservative with only one layer of toasted walnuts, but next time I would double it.)

After one final layer of noodles, goat cheese sauce, and pasta sauce, I sprinkled a healthy dose of grated gruyere on top. I baked it in the oven, covered with foil, at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until bubbly. I finished off a few extra minutes without foil at the end to melt the gruyere.

Delicious, easy and David-approved!

Killer Meatloaf

Turkey + Gruyere + apples + spinach = killer meatloaf, with a side of mashed potatoes.  Back in December, I thought I had made the “Best Meatloaf Ever” with manchego, apples and leeks. Well, turns out Gruyere is the secret weapon to making a killer meatloaf.

Same principles apply: ground turkey, shredded apples for moisture and a little sweetness, plus a dose of green (chopped spinach in this case). But the smoky flavor of the Gruyere leaves a memorable taste that will forever be hard to beat in meatloaf experimentation. Creamy mashed potatoes are an ideal side too – and last night I learned that a fork works better for fluffiness, than a potato masher.

Enjoy!

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The Golden Egg

Sheets of fresh egg noodles = golden opportunity. Last week I played around with the Pasta Shop egg noodle sheets I purchased at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market. Here’s what I came up with:

  • Pappardelle with turkey meatballs – I cut the first 3 pasta sheets into 1-inch strips and boiled until al dente. For the meatballs, I combined ground turkey, chopped celery, 1 egg, and shredded gruyere, and baked in the oven until cooked through. Serve with shredded gruyere and olive oil. Hearty, but still somewhat healthy.
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  • Butternut squash cannelloni – inspired by “Squash, Sage and Ricotta Cannelloni” from Everyday Food. My version consisted of the remaining sheets of egg noodles cut into about 20 lasagna-size noodles, and Parmesan and Gruyere instead of ricotta. I also didn’t have sage which would have been nice with the butternut squash, but the results were still delicious. If you use Gruyere like I did, make sure you let it get bubbly and golden, which really brings out the flavor. This recipe made lots of leftovers!

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