Category: Vegetarian

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach

Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce)

• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Remaining ingredients

• 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
• ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 9 no-boil lasagna noodles (I make fresh pasta and cook it)
• 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. To prepare the veggies: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow onion, and salt. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the veggies are golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
3. Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, to prepare the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and drain off the excess juice for a minute. Then, transfer the drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.
5. Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have a little over 2 cups sauce). Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine.
6. Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.
7. Transfer the cooked veggies and spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are more finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 5 to 7 times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with the remaining cottage cheese, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!
8. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
9. Top with 3 more noodles, followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture (we’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
10. Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top (you may have a little sauce leftover) to evenly cover the noodles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.
11. Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or foil around the top of the lasagna (don’t let it come into contact with the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 10 to 12 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.
12. Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.

• MUSHROOM FILLING
•  large portobello mushrooms, each about 3 inches wide (8 to 10 ounces total)
• ½ cup plus 5 tablespoons olive oil
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 900grams (2 pounds) mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster and cremini
• 4 shallots, finely chopped (about 1 packed cup)
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• ⅓ cup port, or 1 to 2 tablespoons good-quality aged balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts (about 4 ounces)
•  Ice, for cooling

• ONIONS
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium yellow onions (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• ¾ teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 1 tablespoon good-quality aged balsamic vinegar (optional)

• ASSEMBLY
•  All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 (14-ounce) package puff pastry
• 1 large egg, beaten

• FOR THE PORT REDUCTION (OPTIONAL):
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 ½ cups good-quality port
• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
•  Kosher salt and black pepper

1. Wipe the portobello mushrooms clean using barely moistened paper towels. Remove the stems, then slice off the excess mushroom rim that curls over the gills. (You are making sure the stem side has a flat surface so it will sear properly.) Reserve the stems and scraps for use in Step 2. Brush the portobello mushroom caps on both sides with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high and cook the mushrooms, gill-side down, until caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook until softened, about 4 more minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, gill-side down, to cool.
2. Prepare the mushroom filling: Separate and reserve any mushroom stems. Roughly chop about two-thirds of the mixed mushrooms, then working in batches, transfer the roughly chopped mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces. (They should range from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size.) Transfer the chopped mushrooms to a large bowl. By hand, finely chop the remaining mixed mushrooms and stems and the reserved portobello mushroom stems and trimmings into 1/4-inch pieces; add them to the large bowl. (Chopping most of the mixed mushrooms in the food processor will save you some time, but you’ll want to chop some by hand for texture.)
3. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. (You’ll use this to quickly cool the cooked mushrooms in Step 4. If preparing in advance, you can simply let the mixture cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.) Wipe out the skillet. Working in two batches, warm 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add about half the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and rosemary, and season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. (You’ll add soy sauce later, so avoid overseasoning at this stage.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining mushrooms, shallots, garlic and rosemary.
4. Once the second batch of chopped mushrooms is cooked and caramelized, return the first batch to the skillet. Add the port, soy sauce and thyme leaves and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes. (If using balsamic vinegar instead of port, reduce the cook time to 1 to 2 minutes.) Transfer the mushroom mixture back to the medium bowl and stir in the walnuts. Set the bowl over the prepared ice bath to cool, stirring occasionally, at least 20 minutes.
5. Prepare the cider-caramelized onions: Wipe out the skillet, then melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cider and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, if using, then transfer to a bowl to cool.
6. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a large piece of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Unfold your thawed puff pastry and set it on the parchment. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out into a 13-by-16-inch rectangle. Transfer the parchment paper and puff pastry to a large sheet pan. Rotate the sheet pan, if needed, so that one of the 16-inch sides is closest to you. Arrange half the cooked mushroom mixture in a strip in the center of the puff pastry (it should be about 4-by-10 inches), leaving a 1½-inch border at the ends. Arrange the caramelized onions in a single, 3-inch-wide strip on top of the mushroom mixture, leaving about ½ inch of the mushrooms exposed on both sides. Lay the portobello mushrooms on top of the onions in a single line, stem-side down. (If the portobellos are too large to all fit in a row, square off edges so the cut sides lay snugly without overlapping.) Spoon the remaining mushroom mixture on top of the filling, covering the portobello mushrooms, then gently pack the mushroom mixture to form an even layer on top. (You can shape this the same way you might shape a freeform meatloaf.)
7. To assemble, lift one side of the puff pastry over the mushroom filling to almost completely cover it. Brush the surface of the puff pastry covering the mushrooms with the beaten egg. Lift the remaining puff pastry flap over the egg-washed puff pastry, gently stretching it if need be to create a second layer of puff pastry on top, then gently press the top layer of pastry onto the lower layer using your fingertips to seal. Brush the insides of the short ends of the puff pastry and press to seal. Trim any parchment paper that extends beyond the sheet pan.
8. Brush the exposed puff pastry on top with the remaining beaten egg. Decorate the top of the puff pastry as you like: Create a cross-hatch pattern by gently slicing through only the top layer of puff pastry in parallel lines, then cutting parallel lines in another direction. (Apply very little pressure, as you only want to cut through the top layer of puff pastry, not the second layer.) You can also slice small decorative vents in the puff pastry (be sure to slice all the way through both layers of puff pastry), or top with additional strips or shapes made from egg-washed puff pastry.
9. Transfer to the middle rack in the oven and bake until puff pastry is deep golden and flaky, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, about 10 minutes.
10. While the Wellington bakes, prepare the optional port reduction: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium. Add the shallot, garlic and peppercorns, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the port, stock and thyme, and cook over medium-high until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Strain the sauce, discarding the solids. (You should have about 1/2 cup sauce.) Cover and set aside until ready to serve. When ready to serve, warm the sauce over medium. Once warmed, whisk in the butter, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
11. To serve the mushroom Wellington, cut it crosswise into 8 even slabs. (Each slab will include a pretty cross-section showcasing the halved portobello mushroom in the center; this is considered the presentation side.) Serve each piece presentation-side up. Pass with port reduction for drizzling on top

slat

• 8 tablespoon butter cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
• 2 c finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• pepper
• 1 lb pasta
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe trimmed then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 c cream
• 1 small garlic clove minced
• 6 oz fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Heat the oven to 260c. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Place the butter in a 9-by-13-inch/3-quart pan or baking dish and transfer it to the oven to melt while the oven heats; remove it from the oven once it’s melted.

In a small bowl, stir together the panko, 1/4 cup Parmesan and the lemon zest. Add 1 tablespoon of the melted butter from the baking pan, stir until the panko is moistened with butter, then season with salt and pepper.

When the water’s boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. During the last minute of cooking, add the broccoli rabe. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli rabe.

Whisk the cream, garlic and pasta water into the melted butter in the baking dish until smooth. Add the remaining Parmesan in large handfuls, vigorously whisking until smooth and combined. Add the pasta, broccoli rabe and half the mozzarella. Taste, and season well with salt and pepper. Stir until very combined.

Top with the remaining mozzarella, then sprinkle evenly with the panko mixture. Bake until the mozzarella has melted and the panko is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

• 1⅓cups cashews
• 11-inch piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
• ½red chile (such as Fresno), seeds removed, coarsely chopped
• 2garlic cloves
• 3tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 6tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
• 4ounces dried rice noodles (not vermicelli)
• Kosher salt
• 1medium Persian cucumber, halved, thinly sliced on a bias
• 4medium radishes, trimmed, chopped
• 2small carrots (any color), peeled, very thinly sliced into rounds
• 2scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
• 1cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350º. Toast cashews on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes; let cool. Coarsely crush ⅓ cup cashews with a flat-bottomed mug; set aside. Transfer remaining 1 cup cashews to a blender. Add ginger, chile, garlic, tamari, oil, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, and ¼ cup hot water. Purée on high speed, adding more hot water by the tablespoonful if needed, until dressing is smooth and creamy.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse under water, then drain. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 1 Tbsp. lime juice and toss to combine.

Toss cucumber, radishes, carrots, scallions, cilantro, remaining 2 Tbsp. lime juice, and a big pinch of salt in a large bowl.

Spread ¼ cup cashew dressing in each bowl. Divide noodles and crunchy vegetables among bowls. Top with reserved crushed cashews. Serve with leftover sauce alongside, if desired.

• ¼cup olive oil
• 8garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2pounds assorted summer squashes and zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced
• Kosher salt
• 1teaspoon Aleppo-style pepper, plus more for serving
• 12ounces paccheri, ziti, or other large tube pasta
• 2ounces Parmesan, grated (about ½ cup), plus more for serving
• 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½cup basil leaves, divided

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until very lightly browned around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add squash and increase heat to medium high; season with salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until squash begins to break down. Turn down heat once it begins sticking, and continue to cook until the squash is jammy and soft, 12–15 minutes. Toss in 1 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente.

Transfer pasta to skillet with squash using a slotted spoon or spider and add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook pasta, adding 2 oz. Parmesan in stages along with more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente. Toss in lemon juice and most of the basil.

Divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan and Aleppo-style pepper and remaining basil.