The Washington Post - USA (2021-10-27)

E2 EZ EE THE WASHINGTON POST.WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 , 2021

you could use spring greens or

de-stemmed kale, Silcock noted,

adding that if you have

mascarpone, use it in place of

the cream cheese for a bit more

tang.

“One Pan, One Meal” is a great

starter cookbook because it

includes tips for stocking the

pantry and gathering only the

essential cooking tools. The 85

recipes are right up a harried

cook’s alley. You may see another

recipe from it in this column, as I

cook my way through it.

[email protected]

when I was first learning to

cook.”

I can understand that. I’ll

make it again myself because it is

so easy, delivers rich flavor and

because, now that I have the

liquid-to-pasta ratio, I can adjust

the ingredients to suit what I

have on hand or what is in

season.

I might use spinach or whole

wheat pasta, a different squash

or try asparagus. My husband

suggested browning some

sausage before the zucchini for a

meatier dish. Instead of spinach,

them, tucking sauce and

vegetables between the layers so

they don’t stick together. Finally,

the whole thing simmers until

the sauce is as thick as you like.

Slip a bottle of pinot grigio in

the refrigerator before you get

started and whip up a salad as

the dish simmers on the stove.

Silcock, who is from Britain,

wrote: “One of my pals has made

this dish almost weekly since I

gave her the recipe. It was

inspired by the flavors of a

spinach and cream cheese pasta

from a Jamie Oliver book I loved

Spinach Skillet Lasagna

4 to 5 servings

Serve with a green salad and a chilled glass of pinot grigio.

Total time: 40 mins

Leftover lasagna can be stored for up to 5 days.

Adapted from “One Pan, One Meal” by Elena Silcock (Hamlyn,

November 2021).

Ingredients

l1 tablespoon olive oil

l1 to 2 zucchini (12 ounces

total), sliced^1 / 2 -inch thick

lFine sea or table salt

l 13 / 4 cups water

l8 ounces cream cheese

l^1 / 3 cup heavy cream

lGenerous 1 cup (about 3

ounces) finely grated

Parmesan cheese, divided,

plus more as needed

lFinely grated zest of 1 lemon

lFreshly ground black pepper

l2 garlic cloves, minced or

finely grated

l^1 / 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

l12 ounces fresh spinach

l1 small bunch of fresh basil,

divided

l7 ounces dry lasagna sheets,

each one snapped into 3 o r 4

pieces

lToasted pine nuts, for se rving

Steps

lIn a l arge, nonstick skillet over

medium-high heat, heat the oil

until it shimmers. Add the

zucchini in a single layer, if

possible, along with a big

pinch of salt, and saute until

softened and charred in spots,

4 to 5 minutes per side.

lIn a l arge bowl, combine the

water, cream cheese, heavy

cream,^3 / 4 cup (about 2 o unces)

of the Parmesan and lemon

zest. Lightly season with salt

and pepper and whisk until

well combined. It’s okay if

there are a few lumps of cream

cheese — they will melt when

heated.

lOnce the zucchini is ready, add

the garlic and nutmeg and

cook, stirring, until fragrant,

about 1 minute. Pour the

creamy mixture into the skillet

and stir until it just starts to

bubble. Add all of the spinach

and most of the basil a handful

at a t ime, stirring as it wilts

down before adding more.

Once the spinach and basil are

wilted, reduce the heat to

medium.

lAdd the lasagna pieces and,

using a wooden spoon, make

sure they are all submerged

and spread out as much as

possible in the sauce.

lCover the skillet and cook for

about 6 minutes to soften the

noodles. Uncover and stir the

lasagna pieces, making sure

that some of the sauce and

vegetables get tucked between

them, so they don’t stick

t ogether. Then, flatten them

out as much as possible, keep-

ing them submerged: This will

create a lasagna that you will

be able to cut into. Scatter with

the remaining Parmesan, then

cover and cook for 2 minutes,

or until a knife slides through

the noodles without any resis-

tance. The lasagna will appear

a little soupy.

lRemove from the heat, uncov-

er and let sit for 5 minutes. If

the lasagna still seems too

saucy, return the pan to

m edium-low heat and simmer,

uncovered, for an additional

2 minutes.

lWhen ready to serve, scatter

over the remaining basil

leaves, more cheese, if using,

and the pine nuts. Use a large

spoon or spatula to divide into

portions and serve straight out

of the pan at the table.

Nutrition | P er serving (1^1 / 4 cup of pasta)

based on 5: 405 calories, 16 g protein, 25

g carbohydrates, 28 g fat, 13 g saturated

fat, 128 mg cholesterol, 588 mg sodium, 4

g dietary fiber, 2 g sugar

Recipe tested by Ann Maloney; email

questions to [email protected]

When I flipped
open the
cookbook “One
Pan, One Meal”
(Hamlyn,
November 2021),
the first thing I
read were several
bold sentences in
the introduction.
Elena Silcock
wrote: “I don’t
want to have to wash up more
than absolutely necessary. ... I
don’t want to be stressed. ... I
don’t want to have to buy a lot of
ingredients.”
Sound familiar? It’s a r efrain I
sometimes hear from readers if I
suggest a r ecipe that calls for
several pans or if the ingredient
list goes beyond their comfort
zone. There is a place for such
recipes, of course. Some of us
want to try new-to-us spices or
ingredients and we’re eager to
explore various cooking
techniques, but on a weeknight
after a long day of work or
school, I get it. Sometimes I am
thinking those very same things
as I head into the kitchen.
I am not going to tell you that
this skillet lasagna is as delicious
as the classic layered, baked
casserole, but on a busy
weeknight it satisfied a craving
for that dish, and it did so in one
pan. Yes, it has a dozen
ingredients, if you count the oil,
garlic, salt and pepper, but you
should have those in your pantry,
right?
You whip it up on the stovetop
in about 40 minutes, which is
less time than it takes to bake my
favorite lasagna — and that
doesn’t include all the usual
prepping of all its components.
You must have a large,
nonstick skillet where, in hot oil,
you fry the zucchini until golden
with nutmeg and garlic. You
whisk together the sauce, a
mixture of cream cheese, heavy
cream, Parmesan, lemon zest
and water, in a bowl and pour
that over the vegetables and heat
until it starts to bubble. Then,
you add handfuls of fresh
spinach and basil and stir and
cook until it wilts.
The dry lasagna noodles go in
next: You break them in three or
four pieces and slip them in,
making sure they are fully
submerged, cover and cook until
they get soft. Then you must stir

Ann
Maloney

DINNER IN
MINUTES

Lasagna in a skillet is a ll comfort, n o stress

SCOTT SUCHMAN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST; FOOD STYLING BY LISA CHERKASKY FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

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• Recipes editor: Ann Maloney •
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