Mushroom and Burrata "Lasagnette" - Italian - Dinner 2

Mushroom & Burrata “Lasagnette”

This dish is admittedly decadent, perhaps to a remorseful degree. The pasta factor, cheese, buttery mushrooms, and more cheese could easily bring about a guilt trip and 5am gym run for the calorie conscious among us, but it’s totally worth it. This mini-lasange is the perfect dinner for two, whether it’s a special occasion or just a weeknight homemade meal. I made it for the celebration of the one year anniversary of my now fiancé and my decision to begin dating. This meal features many of his favorite ingredients, burrata and wild mushrooms namely, so it was an apt way to acknowledge and appreciate the significance of the date through dinner. I picked up fresh burrata from one of our favorite local restaurants, Verde Pizza in Canton. They make the most delicious version of this milky, salty, creamy cousin of mozzarella and I recommend it to everyone, with an addiction warning. I also bought some salty and nutty parmigiano, not just because I love cheese, but because it plays in perfect contrast to the luxuriant burrata. The mushrooms were a mix of cremini, maitaki, and shittake, that I seasoned with rosemary, oregano, and white pepper to give them a deep earthy flavor as they cooked down in the requisite Kerry Gold salted butter. You can use store bought fresh or dried pasta if you like, however, I was feeling inspired and wanted to make it all by hand so I could infuse the pasta with garlic and black pepper. This “Lasagnette” is truly a labor of love…pardon the cheese, Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Pasta:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon evoo
• Pinch of sea salt

Mushroom Filling:

• 12 oz fresh burrata
• 6 oz grated parmigiano reggiano
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• 16 oz mixed mushrooms (cremini, maitake, shitake) – rough chop
• 1 large shallot - diced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 teaspoon evoo
• Dried rosemary, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and ground white pepper to taste

Preparation:

Pasta:

In a large bowl, place flour in the center and using the back of a measuring cup create a divot (volcano like) in the mound. Drop in garlic powder, black pepper, salt and the evoo around the flour evenly without disturbing the mound. Crack the 3 eggs into the divot. Using a fork or your hands, bring in the dry flour from the sides into the divot. Continue slowly until pieces of dough form. Timing will depend on moisture, but use your hands to combine the dough pieces into one ball. You may need to run a hand under water first if the pieces are too dry to combine. Knead together for about 10 mins on a floured surface. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes to let the glutens rest and fully develop. Once rested, pull off roughly 2 1/2" round balls of dough, leaving the main intact and in plastic so it does not dry out. Flour both sides and use a rolling pin to flatten to about 1/6” and is roughly 4"wide with even ends. Run through a hand crank pasta maker until the desired thickness, I usually take mine down to the second to last thickness as fresh pasta gains a lot of bulk when cooked. Cut into 4” x 4” pieces or whatever will fit in your baking vessels. Mine were mini casseroles so this was the perfect size. Place on a drying rack while you prepare your mushrooms and other ingredients. Repeat with the remaining dough. When your mushroom filling is ready, cook the pasta in salted water for roughly 4 minutes (fresh pasta cooks much faster than dry).

Mushroom Filling and Lasagnette Assembly:

Pre-heat the oven to 450F. In a large saute pan, melt the butter, then add the shallot and cook until transparent. Add the mushrooms slowly, allowing them to coat with butter. Drizzle the evoo and add your herbs. Cook for about 15 mins, mushrooms should be soft and begin to brown. Add the white wine, then turn up the heat and allow the mushrooms to cook down until nearly dry. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl at room temp so they so do not overcook. When the pasta is cooked, brush the inside of your baking vessels with evoo and place a sheet of pasta in the bottom, pressing the sides up to the rim. Layer in mushrooms, ricotta, parm, and torn burrata. Place another sheet of pasta and repeat, reserving a small about of mushroom filling. Place another sheet of pasta on top, mix remaining burrata and mushrooms and place on the top of final sheet. Top with remaining parmigiano. Bake for 25 minutes or until the parm is brown and burrata is bubbling. I turned on the broiler at the last minute just to pump up the golden pasta tips and cheese bubbles. Allow to sit for 5 minutes and serve.

Note: If you’re feeding more than two, this can be made in a traditional casserole, but I warn you, you really need to up the mushroom amount, as they lose significant moisture and mass when cooked.