This is a hard time of year for eating and cooking. At least in the upper Midwest. Spring is near, but not. The richness we relished in colder months is too heavy today. It's above freezing now, but the rain, coupled with an outright refusal to dress properly, means we're still cold a lot.
This dish is warm, but casual. It's earthy and slightly sweet. But not decadent, not elegant. It's kind of in between. Like March. If you wanted to dress it up, a béchamel would pair nicely. Maybe I'll return to that thought next November.
1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2 - 3/4 inch cubes
milk
salt + pepper
2 tablespoons butter
5 largish shallots, peeled and sliced crosswise, not too thinly
pinch sugar
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, set a large pot of salted water on to boil, and grease a medium baking pan.
Boil the rutabaga until very tender. Once cooked, mash it with some milk to your desired consistency (I left mine on the thicker, rutabaga-y side, but a thinner, saucier consistency might be nice as well). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saute pan over low heat. Add the shallots and the tiniest touch of sugar. Cook over low heat until the shallots become drapey-soft and browned.
Combine the sage and ricotta.
Par-boil your noodles. Even if you plan to use no-boil noodles, I suggest you parboil. This isn't a very saucy lasagna, and so the noodles might not fully cook in the oven.
Begin to layer the dish: lasagne, rutabaga mash, ricotta, shallots, lasagne, mash, ricotta, shallots, etc. Top with a final layer of noodles, a little mash, and the Parmesan cheese.
Bake, covered, for about 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 20 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.
Serves 4-6. Inspired by.
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