This healthy Pesto Pasta with Arugula, Asparagus, Peas, and Pistachios is fresh, bright, and absolutely delicious! Eat it warm or cold! Pesto Pasta Recipe This vegetarian pesto pasta is the perfect way to showcase spring veggies! This lightened-up pest…
This healthy Pesto Pasta with Arugula, Asparagus, Peas, and Pistachios is fresh, bright, and absolutely delicious! Eat it warm or cold! Pesto Pasta Recipe This vegetarian pesto pasta is the perfect way to showcase spring veggies! This lightened-up pesto combines fragrant fresh basil with earthy arugula, salty parmesan, sweet roasted pistachios, and bright lemon juice.
This Orzo Salad is perfect for summer gatherings and picnics. Cucumber, tomatoes, arugula, and a zesty Lemon Basil Dressing make the flavors pop! We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. J…
This Orzo Salad is perfect for summer gatherings and picnics. Cucumber, tomatoes, arugula, and a zesty Lemon Basil Dressing make the flavors pop! We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. Joseph Campbel During the warmer months, I love having…
This freezer-friendly mushroom lasagna is all about homemade mushroom ragù, big dollops of ricotta cheese, and silky tender sheets of pasta finished with a bit of basil and some grated Parmesan cheese.
This is the mushroom lasagna I make when no-one is looking. The one where I cut a couple of traditional corners, add a few personal touches and, quite honestly, never look back. Sometimes I go long-form and use homemade pasta for the layers, other times it’s all about keeping the process quick — store-bought lasagna sheets and ragù from the freezer it is. Both versions are pictured here.
Consider yourself warned, this lasagna is a big boy, and will fill all of a 13×9 pan with layers of a vibrant, hearty and creamy mushroom ragù. There are generous dollops of ricotta and ribbons of silky pasta. I’ve grated fragrant lemon zest into the bottom of every lasagna for as long as I can remember, and that’s a feature here too.
The Vision
There are a number of different styles of mushroom lasagna. Some are white lasagnas, with no tomatoes whatsoever. They rely on creamy béchamel (butter, milk, flour) for some of the binding and creaminess desired in lasagna. My version isn’t that. I generously layer a creamy, tomato-based mushroom ragù as the primary sauce throughout. It’s rich enough that I simply skip the béchamel component you see in many lasagnas. Lemon zest lifts all the flavors up, and you can choose to use store-bought lasagna sheets or make them from homemade pasta depending on how ambitious you’re feeling.
Quick version vs. Slow Version
Lasagna is always made with love. They can be all day affairs, but with a bit of planning, one like this can come together reasonably quick. To make the lasagna pictured above I used mushroom ragù thawed from the freezer with store-bought noodles. Had the whole thing in the oven 30 minutes after walking in the kitchen. The other lasagna picture, not so much. I made the ragù the same day, rolled out homemade pasta sheets, and when I say it was an all-day situation, no exaggeration. Either way, a lasagna is never not worth the effort.
Mushroom Lasagna: The Ingredients
The list here is short, so you want to make sure each component is on point, seasoned well and tasting good.
Mushroom Ragù: There’s only one sauce in this lasagna recipe and it is this mushroom ragù is it. It’s a hearty, wonderful, slow-cooked tomato and mushroom sauce featuring finely chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, and aromatics. Keep it in your freezer. Use half for pastas, the other half for this lasagna.
Pasta: You have options here and both are fantastic! You can use homemade pasta or store-bought lasagna sheets.
Cheese: The main cheese in this lasagna is ricotta. Parmesan is used more as a finishing cheese.
Lemon zest: Don’t skip it. It is the secret wink of goodness.
Basil: Use it when basil is in season – always fresh basil. But don’t let the lack of basil deter you from making this.
Dial up the Mushrooms
All of the mushrooms in this lasagna are introduced in the ragù. They’re well chopped. That said, if you want a mushroom lasagna with more defined mushrooms you have options! Stem and slice a pound of mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Cook them in a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a hot skillet with a pinch of salt until golden. Alternately, you can also roast them after tossing with olive oil in the oven as it is pre-heating. Introduce these mushrooms to your lasagna layers.
Mushroom Lasagna: The Process
Here’s a step by step illustration of how to make this lasagna. The first thing to do is butter or oil your baking pan, and then sprinkle with some citrus zest. You see orange here, but I typically use lemon. Or a blend. The next step is pre-cooking the lasagna sheets in boiling, salted water. You’ll dunk them in a big bowl of ice water spiked with a bit of olive oil. Then transfer to a baking sheet. See below. From there, build the lasagna in layers starting with a thin layer of ragù. Next, a layer of pasta, more mushroom ragù, and then dollops of ricotta. Repeat until you’ve run out of ingredients. Make sure to end with a good amount of sauce. You can add ricotta, a bit of basil, and more lemon zest to the top if you like, or keep it simple with just a bit of sauce and a finishing layer of Parmesan. The lasagna below was made with homemade pasta and Parmesan to finish. Bake until golden and beautiful. Once your lasagna has finished baking, allow it to sit for a few minutes before cutting into it.
Freezing Lasagna
The house rule for this mushroom lasagna is eat half, freeze half. It reheats brilliantly and makes for an easy weeknight meal alongside a quick salad or vegetable side of some sort. To freeze the lasagna, first allow it to cool completely. Slice into desired individual pieces and freeze. Store each slice in an individual container or freezer bag. It makes things easier and slices don’t freeze together. Keep frozen for up to three months.
Reheating Lasagna
Arrange frozen slices of lasagna on a parchment-lined baking sheet, an inch or more apart. If you remember, allow it to thaw a bit ahead of time. Not a big deal if you forget, thawing just allows you to reheat it more quickly. Heat the oven to 400F, cover the baking sheet with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot throughout. You may need to cut into a slice to make sure the center is hot.
This delicious, creamy orzo pasta dish with asparagus and peas is fresh, bright, and lemony – the perfect spring dinner. Plus, it’s vegan and dairy-free. Creamy Orzo with Asparagus and Peas This quick orzo pasta is a great back-pocket weeknight recipe …
This delicious, creamy orzo pasta dish with asparagus and peas is fresh, bright, and lemony – the perfect spring dinner. Plus, it’s vegan and dairy-free. Creamy Orzo with Asparagus and Peas This quick orzo pasta is a great back-pocket weeknight recipe when you want to skip the meat and dairy. It has the same creamy
Sopa De Letras, or alphabet soup, is a delicious and hearty tomato-based Mexican soup that’s packed with flavor. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal when you’re craving a big bowl of comfort food. It’s a breeze to put together (it’s finished in 20 minutes!), it’s vegan, and you can make a big batch and freeze it! Side note: You’ll be looking for words in every spoonful.
What is Sopa De Letras?
This Mexican soup is made with toasted alphabet pasta, a few vegetables, spices, and veggie broth. It’s an incredibly simple recipe that’s ready in a heartbeat, making it perfect for those days when you don’t even have time to think. I got this recipe from my friend Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, who just published it in her new cookbook Muy Bueno: Fiestas. PSIf you love easy, approachable, super tasty Mexican food, you should check out the book. Her recipes are incredible!
Ingredients For Sopa De Letras
This soup is so easy that it only takes a few steps to make it! So, if you’re ready for a filling and simple recipe perfect for busy days, here’s what you need to make Sopa De Letras:
Alphabet pasta – you can find this tiny pasta shaped like letters in the Latin food aisle of most grocery stores. Substitute it with any small pasta, like ditalini, cous cous, star-shaped pasta (to make Sopa De Estrellitas) or vermicelli (to make Sopa de Fideo).
RomaTomatoes- Make up the base of the broth. Their tangy, savory deliciousness deepens the flavor. You can substitute with 1 pound of any fresh tomato or a 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes.
Onions and Garlic – are aromatics that add complexity and an earthy sweetness. Sub the onion with 1/2 tablespoon of onion powder and the garlic with 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Vegetable broth – makes this soup vegan, but feel free to use chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand.
Toppings for Sopa De Letras
You can enjoy your soup as is or add a few tasty toppings to kick things up a notch!
Sour cream or yogurt adds richness and tang to the soup.
Shredded cheese adds a bit of creaminess and flavor.
Cilantro adds herbaceousness and a pop of color to the soup.
Lime wedges add acidity and brightness to the soup.
Hot sauce or chile flakes add a bit of heat and spice to the soup.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Then reheat it on the stove or in a microwave. The pasta will soak up much of the broth, so you may want to add more veggie broth before reheating. If you’re going to make this to freeze it, I recommend making and freezing the broth. Then, when you’re reheating the broth, toast the pasta and add it in.
In a blender, combine the onion, tomatoes, garlic, pepper, and veggie broth and purée until smooth.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the alphabet pasta and heat, stirring, until lightly toasted, 1–2 minutes.
Add the puréed mixture, stir well, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and darkens, about 5 minutes.
Add the water, stir well, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes.
In a blender, combine the 1/2 white onion, 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 cups of veggie broth. Purée until smooth.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the 7 ounces of alphabet pasta and heat, stirring, until lightly toasted, 1–2 minutes.
Add the puréed mixture, stir well, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and darkens, about 5 minutes.
Add the 2 cups of water, stir well, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes.
Season with salt, ladle into bowls, and serve. Was that easy or what?! I hope you get a chance to enjoy it in peace without your kid freaking out about the poster board they need for a school project that’s due tomorrow but forgot to tell you about. #momlife
This fresh, vibrant, and utterly delicious Tortellini Salad feeds a crowd on a dime. My favorite part? It only takes a few minutes to put together. Plus, you can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Win! Win! Win! It’s perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a light lunch at home. Get ready to put this Tortellini Salad recipe on repeat!
What is Tortellini Salad?
Tortellini is a type of pasta stuffed with meat, vegetables, or cheese, then shaped into a small ring. To make the salad, the cooked and cooled tortellini is mixed with summer vegetables, herbs, greens, and a vinaigrette. Sometimes chopped cured meats or pickled peppers are added. For me, the pure joy of it is that it comes together in three steps, it’s super filling, and it’s a perfect choice for when you have an army to feed but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
Ingredients for Tortellini Salad
The pasta is the star here, and though you can use any kind of tortellini, we chose cheese tortellini to keep the flavor profile simple. Here’s what you need to make Tortellini Salad:
Tortellini– any kind will do. If you can’t access this ingredient, substitute it with rotini, farfalle, penne, orecchiette, or gnocchi. (And call it Pasta Salad!)
Cherry tomatoes – these bring a pop of color and a touch of sweetness and acidity to the party. If you’re not a fan of tomatoes, try using red bell peppers instead.
Red onion– sharp, assertive, and spicy, this ingredient is a great way to break up the fattiness of the tortellini. You can substitute with green onion, white onion, or yellow onion.
Summer vegetables like squash and zucchini– these fresh veggies add more texture than flavor and also help bulk up your salad. Substitute with cucumber or carrots.
Black olives– add a touch of brininess. Substitute with green olives or capers.
Baby spinachandItalian Pasley– add herbaceous peppery notes. Substitute the spinach with kale or arugula. If you’re not a fan of parsley, use basil.
Parmesan cheese – helps round out the flavors and adds a touch of nuttiness.
Italian Dressing– pulls everything together and adds zing. Substitute with any lightly flavored vinaigrette.
Tips For Making The Best Tortellini Salad
You can use store-bought Italian dressing for convenience, but for a more flavorful salad, use our recipe for Italian Dressing.
Bulk up the salad with more low-cost, in-season veg to transform a pound of tortellini into 16 servings instead of 12. Use any fresh veg, greens, and fresh summer herbs you have on hand. Just cut everything in similar sizes.
Add a little acidity and heat with pickled cherry peppers or banana peppers.
For a heartier salad, add chopped grilled chicken or shrimp. Or try adding chopped salami.
Tortellini salad keeps up to 3 days in the fridge. Just make sure to store leftovers in an airtight container. If you want to make the salad ahead of time, I recommend making the tortellini, chopping and salting the squash and zucchini, and prepping the rest of the ingredients. Add the tortellini to a large container and top with the veg and then the greens. Mix with Parmesan and dressing when you’re ready to serve.
First, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Then drain well and cool in a very large bowl in the fridge.
While the tortellini is cooking, slice the summer squash and the zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds and then quarter the rounds. Add them to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and mix.
Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the red onion in 1/4 inch half moons and soak it in cold water to dull its sharp flavor. Chop the parsley, and if the baby spinach leaves are large, chop them as well.
Once the tortellini has cooled, top it with the cherry tomatoes, red onion, baby spinach, and sliced black olives. Then drizzle with 1/2 cup of Italian dressing.
Next, top the salad with chopped Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese. Then drizzle with the final 1/4 cup of Italian dressing. Finally, mix, and serve! Wasn't that easy?
How to Make Tortellini Salad – Step By Step Photos
First, cook one pound of tortellini according to the package directions. Then drain well and cool in a very large bowl in the fridge.
While the tortellini is cooking, slice the summer squash and the zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds and then quarter the rounds. Add them to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and mix.
Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the red onion in 1/4 inch half moons and soak it in cold water to dull its sharp flavor. Chop the parsley, and if the baby spinach leaves are large, chop them as well.
Once the tortellini has cooled, you’re ready to assemble. First, top the tortellini with 1 pint of halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 sliced red onion, 2 cups fresh baby spinach, and 1/2 cup sliced black olives. Then drizzle with 1/2 cup of Italian dressing.
Next, top the salad with 1/2 cup of chopped Italian parsley and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Then drizzle with the final 1/4 cup of Italian dressing. Finally, mix, and serve! Wasn’t that easy? Now go feed your army and enjoy your time with them instead of spending it in your kitchen!
Angel hair pasta with shrimp and tomato sauce is made with a touch of cream, white wine and a hint of lemon. A quick weeknight dinner idea! Angel Hair with Shrimp Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp in a light Tomato Cream Sauce so light and flavorful. The sh…
Angel hair pasta with shrimp and tomato sauce is made with a touch of cream, white wine and a hint of lemon. A quick weeknight dinner idea! Angel Hair with Shrimp Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp in a light Tomato Cream Sauce so light and flavorful. The shrimp cooks with canned diced tomatoes, a touch
These easy, delicious, high-protein Cottage Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups are vegetarian and perfect weeknight dinners. Lasagna Roll Ups With Cottage Cheese I swapped out ricotta for cottage cheese in these cheesy lasagna roll ups, and no one in my family no…
These easy, delicious, high-protein Cottage Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups are vegetarian and perfect weeknight dinners. Lasagna Roll Ups With Cottage Cheese I swapped out ricotta for cottage cheese in these cheesy lasagna roll ups, and no one in my family noticed a thing! In fact my daughter actually liked it better! Cottage cheese has a
Pasta Primavera or “Spring Pasta” highlights tender spring vegetables-asparagus, peas, leeks and pea shoots, tossed with pappardelle, lemon zest, olive oil and spring herbs.
Pasta Primavera or "Spring Pasta" highlights tender spring vegetables-asparagus, peas, leeks and pea shoots, tossed with pappardelle, lemon zest, olive oil and spring herbs.
The ragù of your dreams. This hearty and deeply flavorful mushroom ragù moves from the stovetop to the oven, slow-cooking into a hearty, wonderful sauce featuring finely chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, white wine, and aromatics.
Most of the mushroom ragù I’ve cooked in my life featured sliced mushrooms. I’d brown them and work from there. Eventually, this style of sauce fell out of rotation and I didn’t give it much thought. Other sauces took its place and I never looked back. It wasn’t until I saw an early copy of Andrea Gentl’sCooking With Mushrooms that mushroom ragù became a regular feature again in our house. Andrea’s ragù features a mixture of very finely chopped fresh mushrooms. It is slow cooked in a low oven for hours, and has all sorts of wonderful wildcard ingredients in it adding layers of depth and flavor – nutritional yeast, fish sauce, mushroom powder, chiles and herbs. You should buy her book, and you should absolutely make her version (vegan fish sauce works great in it if you’re veg). It’s one of my favorite ways to spend a lazy Sunday. When a lazy Sunday isn’t quite in the cards, I regularly find myself makingwhat I’ve come to think of as my “cheater version” of the ragù. It happens when I know I’m a bit short on time, or out of certain ingredients — that’s the recipe you see here. It’s thick, hearty and the perfect paring for a range of pastas, polenta and the like. I love it enough to always have in my freezer these days.
Secrets to Making a Great Ragù
Generally speaking, I feel like there are two primary secrets to making a great mushroom ragù — quality ingredients and patience. On the ingredient front, choose mushrooms that are firm and dry. Avoid mushrooms that are discolored, mushy, or wrinkled. It likely goes without saying, but mushrooms that have an off-smell or have any sort of sliminess should also get a pass. Gross, I know. Patience kicks in on the cooking front. This ragù starts off quick saute on the stovetops and then moves into a low-and-slow couple of hours in the oven.
Cooking Method
By sautéing ragù ingredients on a stovetop and following up with a couple hours in an oven you achieve a thick, wonderful concentrated hearty sauce. I love the combination.
Mushroom Ragù: Core Ingredients
There’s quite a lot of flexibility here. Give the recipe a try as written, and then wing it a bit moving forward based on what you have in your kitchen. For example, I’ve used scallions (with the green parts) when I was out of onions, and I really loved that version as well.
Tomatoes: I tend to keep crushed tomatoes on hand, so that’s what I use more here often than not. Fire-roasted canned tomatoes are my first choice, but standard crushed tomatoes are a-ok if that is what is available. In Andrea’s version she has you blitz whole canned tomatoes into a puree. Each choice brings something slightly different to the ragù, so feel free to experiment!
Mushrooms: I talked about the importance of mushroom quality in the previous section a bit. Here I’ll talk about types of mushrooms that work well. I love to use a mix of flavorful mushrooms in a ragù like this. You can mix up the types of mushrooms depending on what is available in your area. I rarely use them same combination twice. Oyster mushrooms are meaty and firm and hold their texture in the sauce. Because of the sheer amount of mushrooms needed for a ragù, supplementing common (and less expensive varietals) with something more special and unusual is a good approach. Generally speaking, cremini, oyster, Portobello, maitake and button mushrooms are a great place to start.
Mushroom Powder: Porcini powder is a powerhouse ingredient and adds depth and an added layer of flavor beyond the fresh mushrooms. You’re doubling down on flavor. I know it can be tricky to track down, but it’s an ingredient I wouldn’t skip here. You can blitz your own dried porcini into a powder with a high-speed blender. Because this has become such a go-to sauce for me,I tend to stock up on porcini mushroom powder, either homemade, or from a trusted source like Far West Fungi.
How to Clean Mushrooms
It’s important to clean mushrooms that you will be using to cook. Nobody loves a gritty sauce. Use a damp rag or paper towel to gently clean any dirt or foreign material from mushrooms. Trim the stems as bit as well, they often tend to look a bit rough.
Mushroom Ragù: Make it Creamy!
You can make this ragù creamy or not creamy – both versions are incredibly good. In the creamy version stir in one cup of heavy cream (or cashew cream) to the ragù before it goes into the oven. Whether or not to add it depends on how I imagine using the sauce. Keep in mind the cream component cuts into the acidity of the tomatoes in the sauce beautifully. I always use it if I’m going to use the ragù in a lasagna, over polenta, and in most baked pastas. Skip it, or scale back, if you’re going to use the ragù alongside a cheese ravioli or something already creamy. You can also decide just how creamy you like it – using less or more cream to your liking. I actually prefer to use cashew cream in this ragù, in part because I don’t often keep heavy cream on hand. But also because the cashew cream is so luxe and rich, subtly nutty and so good. Also, I alway have cashews on hand, so there’s never a need to make a special trip to the store. You can use either!
Serving Suggestions!
There are countless ways to enjoy a good mushroom ragù. This list includes some of my favorites.
Lasagna: Use this mushroom ragù in your next lasagna. I love it between sheets of homemade pasta alternating with dollops of ricotta, baked until bubbling. A few simple components coming together into baked pasta perfection. Something like this lasagna, substitute the mushroom ragù for the other tomato sauce, and use ricotta in place of most of the mozzarella. We freeze slices of this to reheat on stormy nights in the Airstream. It reheats brilliantly.
Polenta: This mushroom ragù served over a creamy, hot bowl of polenta is a match made in heaven. In Andrea’s Cooking With Mushrooms book she showcases her ragù in a beautiful photo of it served over polenta.
Stuffed Shells: Swap out the tomato sauce called for in this stuffed shells recipe, replace with mushroom ragù.
Pappardelle: This sauce is wonderful with pappardelle. You can make both components a head of time and freeze. Thaw and heat the mushroom ragù to serve and boil the pappardelle straight from the freezer.
Pizza: Use this favorite pizza dough recipe to make a few rounds of dough and use this ragù as your sauce – go for it from there with toppings.
Homemade Pasta: I call out pappardelle up above, but this sauce is wonderful with a range of pasta shapes. More than anything, I just want to encourage you to try making your own homemade pasta. It’s completely doable, and you might even have the short list of ingredients in your kitchen right now!
Variations
These are two variations I’ve enjoyed recently.
Vegan Mushroom Ragù: Use cashew cream not heavy cream. To make cashew cream blend 1 cup raw cashews with 1 cup water in a high-speed blender until silky smooth.
Mushroom Ragù with Curry Leaves and Lemon: I make an India-inspired version of this ragù using fresh green chiles, lots of fried curry leaves, mustard seeds and lemon zest. It probably warrants a separate dedicated recipe post, but if you’re a confident cook the jist is the following. Heat 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small saucepan, you’re going to make a tadka of sorts. Add two chopped serrano chiles to the oil and fry for a couple minutes. Add 40-50 fresh curry leaves, stir well and cook until they begin to crisp – a couple minutes. Toward the end, stir in 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds. Cook until they start to pop a bit. Strain the curry leaves and solids on a few paper towels and mix with the zest of one lemon. Use the curry-infused olive oil as a replacement for the olive oil called for in the mushroom ragù recipe below. Stir the curry leaves in at the end, or reserve to top whatever you are serving with the ragù.
Mushroom Ragù: Storage
I always have a few “bricks” of ragù at the ready in my freezer. They also work great as substitute ice blocks to keep our cooler cold when we’re out on a road trip and should be added to my list of favorite camping recipes. Freeze into your preferred shape and quantity and then store for up to a few months frozen. Thaw, reheat and use.
Related Recipes
If you’re looking for something much quicker, try this five-minute tomato sauce. Other related recipes include: homemade pasta, pappardelle, gnocchi, pesto, and the pizza dough recipe I’ve been fine-tuning forever. Here’s where you can find more pasta recipes, as well as more mushroom recipes. Enjoy!
