I have no problem bragging:
Not only did many Westonians testify to this being the very best lasagna they've ever eaten...
the mushroom haters refrained from their picking-all-the-mushrooms-out habit
as soon as they tried one of these Red Wine Mushrooms — It's true!
In fact, I'm a self-diagnosed mushroom hater, but soak those bad boys in some red wine
and heck yeah, I'll eat 'em! I'll even like it.
Makes 12 rolls
- Ingredients -
Fresh Spinach Lasagna
1 large bunch spinach leaves, stems removed
2 cups flour
2 eggs
Alfredo Sauce
1 ½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube, or better: ½ cup homemade chicken stock
Italian Venison Sausage
2 lbs venison, cubed
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon anise seeds
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
For cooking the sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
For the lasagna
1 cup
red wine mushrooms (click for recipe)
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
12 oz marinated artichokes
- Tools -
collapsible steamer
(I use this one, nothing sticks to it & it's pretty neat looking)
Weston Kitchen Kit
Weston Meat Grinder
Roma by Weston Pasta Machine with
Lasagna Attachment
cast-iron skillet
5 qt. glass baking dish
Step One | Prepare Pasta Dough
Use a collapsible steamer (in a pot with ½ cup water over high heat) to steam your fresh spinach until completely soft — about 20 minutes. Place the spinach into a
Weston Manual Kitchen Kit with the chopper attachment inserted and turn the handle to chop the spinach finely.
Make a mound of flour in a large mixing bowl or on a cutting board. Dig a well into the mound's center with your fingers. Break the eggs into the well and spoon the spinach into it.
Use a fork to scramble the eggs and spinach, then mash the flour into the liquid center until you have a uniform dough.
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| This dough is done! |
Let the spinach pasta dough rest, wrapped with plastic wrap, in a sandwich bag, or covered with a damp towel.
Step Two | Prepare Alfredo Sauce
Pour the heavy cream into a pot over medium heat. Once it begins to simmer, stir in the remaining ingredients, except the flour. Stir until the sauce is consistent. Whisk in the flour and allow to thicken on the stove about one minute. Remove from heat and cover.
Step Three | Grind Venison for Sausage
Use your
Meat Grinder to grind the venison through the coarse plate.
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| We used the new Weston #5 500 Watt Meat Grinder to make quick work of this venison. |
Hand mix the coarse grind with the sausage seasonings. Grind a second time, with the seasonings — this time through the fine plate.
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| Second grind, with seasonings |
Step Four | Brown the Venison Sausage
Place a skillet on medium high heat. Once hot, pour in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then pour in the ground venison. Let cook until just browned (5-10 minutes). Halfway through, throw in the shallots. Remove from heat and cover.
Step Five | Prepare Spinach Lasagna Noodles
Place a pot of water on to boil and preheat your oven to 375°F at this point.
Use your
Roma Pasta Machine to roll out your rested dough, until the fourth to last setting.
A tip for cutting lasagna noodles: You want to roll out your dough sheets as wide as the machine before you cut them. So start with a piece of dough that is at least 3 inches wide. I also use a pastry cutter to cut myself a square piece to start with — it makes things easier.
At the end of the rolling, your sheet should be 6 inches across and about 8 inches long for ideal lasagna noodles. Use the
lasagna cutting attachment to cut the pasta sheet into three lasagna noodles. Repeat three more times (until you have 12 noodles). While you're cutting additional lasagna noodles, be sure to lay them flat so that they don't begin to dry with wrinkles in them.
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| Perfect spinach lasagna noodles, courtesy of our Roma Traditional Style Pasta Machine |
Drop your lasagna noodles into the boiling water and boil until soft, 3-5 minutes. Drain.
Step Six | Assemble Lasagna Rolls
Spread a thin layer of alfredo sauce over the bottom of a glass baking dish.
Lay your lasagna noodles out. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese over each noodle and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover with a layer of artichoke leaves, then with a layer of red wine mushrooms, and finally, with a layer of Italian Venison Sausage. Roll tightly, but gently.
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| Assembly of lasagna rolls |
Place each roll into the baking dish and then top with alfredo sauce.
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| Lasagna, all rolled up and ready to be topped with alfredo sauce |
Step Seven | Bake Lasagna Rolls
Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and a little bit browned.
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| Lasagna rolls, fresh from the oven |
Step Eight | Serve
The glory of these rolls, other than the flavor, is that you don't have to cut the lasagna — each roll is its own serving. Serve immediately, hot.
