Roasted Red Pepper and Herb Goat Cheese Lasagne (8-10 servings)
The goat cheeses available in stores vary so much, from dry and crumbly to smooth and creamy, that you may need as little as 1/4 cup or as much as 1 cup heavy cream to make the filling in this recipe spreadable. This meatless lasagne is easily assembled ahead of time and is ideal for buffets.
Have ready:
- 1-1/2 recipes Simplest Italian Tomato Sauce Marinara, 305
- 6 large red bell peppers, roasted, 402, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Combine in a food processor:
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 3 scallions, or 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup packed mixed fresh herbs, such as basic and parsley, or 1 tablespoon mixed dried oregano and parsley.
- Two 10-11 ounce logs fresh mild goat cheese
- up to 1/4 cup heavy cream
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Process until creamy and smooth. The filling should be easy to spread. It it is too stiff, add:
- Up to 3/4 cup heavy cream
Bring to a rolling boil in a large pot:
- 8 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons salt
Add and cook until barely tender:
- 1 pound fresh lasagne, or 1 pound dried
Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly oil a 13x9x3-inch baking or lasagne pan.
Spread on a thin layer of the tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish. Cover the sauce with a layer of pasta, overlapping the noodles by 1/2-inch. Spread with one quarter of the cheese filling and top with one quarter of the red peppers. Ladle enough tomato sauce to just barely cover the layer and sprinkle with one-quarter of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers 3 more times until all the ingredients are used, finishing with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese (4 layers total). Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until bubbly on top, 20 to 30 minutes for fresh pasta, 40 to 50 minutes for dried pasta. Removed the foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes for dried pasta. Removed the foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking. Removed from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.