Friday, July 12, 2013

In The Kitchen - Lasagne Cupcakes Recipe

Lasagna Cupcakes recipe

I've been wanting to make lasagne cakes for a while now and decided to give it a try last night.   I first came across the idea at a friend's birthday party that was catered by Heirloom LA.  They came up with the concept of Lasagne Cupcakes™ and actually trademarked the name (which is why I'm calling mine "cakes")!  Brilliant.

I love the individual presentation and it's a great side dish with endless variations that can be made. And, I'm a huge fan of great side dish presentations (like my Cannellini Bean Ramekins or Quinoa Cannellini Bean Cakes).  The lasagne cakes turned out great and I can't wait to make more ... they didn't take a lot of time and were easy to put together.  So much fun to make and serving them felt like putting little presents on the plate!


Lasagne "Cup" Cakes

Recipe by Laura Ashman Jolna

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 cakes

Ingredients
  • 2 sheets of fresh lasagna sheets *
  • 1 cup marinara sauce (approx)
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp marjoram
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced
  • olive oil spray
  • olive oil (for pan)
  • shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping
  • fresh basil, for garnish
*  I used the fresh egg lasagne from La Pasta which I bought at my grocery store.

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350º.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook lasagne sheets for approx 2 minutes until done. Rinse and let cool.

For zucchini, either roast or grill strips until done.  Cool and then dice .  I grilled mine which took about 4 minutes (2 min on each side).  Roasting is also quick ... approximately 10 - 15 min at 425°.

Mix ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg white, oregano & marjoram together in a bowl with a whisk.  

Spray cupcake pan with olive oil spray.  Cut lasagne sheets with pizza cutter into large squares (approx 5"x5").  Brush lasagne squares with olive oil (I used Tuscan Herb flavored olive oil).  Press squares into cupcake pan and use scissors to snip where bunching in pan.  This makes it easier to mold and press into shape.

Fill each "cupcake" in layers by the spoonful.  1st add the ricotta mixture, then the marinara sauce and then the diced grilled zucchini.  Top with mozzarella and more parmesan cheese.

Bake 15 minutes.  Serve warm and enjoy!

Note:  I intended to use mild italian sausage, but it wasn't available at the grocery store yesterday.  I will definitely add this ingredient next time for another layer of flavor!

Buon Appetito!




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