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Celery Root Lasagna

SERVES: 6 PREP: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 ½ hours

Celery Root Lasagna

SERVES: 6 PREP: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 ½ hours

Dreamy "noods," but without the carbs.

In my first Cravings cookbook, I shared a recipe for zucchini lasagna that is purrrrrre delight. But looking back, with the eyes of a woman with two kids and an overall busier life, holy hell, it’s a lot of steps. And a lot of ingredients. I’ve simplified it significantly here, without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. Instead of zucchini, I use celery root as “noodles," which have an even more similar texture to pasta than zucchini, which can get a little lost when cooked and layered into the meat sauce. But you know what? If you can’t get celery root, go ahead and use no-boil noodles (or boil some yes-boil ones) - life is short.

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INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

For the Meat Sauce:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili flakes
15 leaves (½ cup lightly packed) basil leaves
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes

For the Lasagna:

1 large celery root (about 1 ¼ to ½ pounds)
2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
+ kosher salt

Make the meat sauce: Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the beef and pork along with ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until no longer pink, 6–7 minutes. Transfer the meat and any juices to a bowl. Return the pot to the stove, add another 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the onions and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and another ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Return the browned meat and juices to the pot along with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, tomatoes, chili flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring once in a while, until thickened, 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Make the "noods": While the sauce is cooking, prepare the celery root by cutting ½ inch off the top and bottom to create a flat surface. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the knobby, hairy outside, following the shape of the celery root. If you have a mandoline, set it to ⅛-inch thickness and slice the celery root into about 12 slices (or use the knife to slice the celery root). Sprinkle the slices very lightly with salt. If you are not using the celery root slices right away, cover them in water, squeeze a little lemon in the water, and refrigerate. Pat dry before using. Tip: Shred up any unused celery root and use it like potatoes in hash browns!
Build and bake the lasagna: Spoon one third (about 1 ⅓ cups) of the sauce evenly across the bottom of an 8x11-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of celery root on top of the sauce, cutting some of the pieces in half if necessary to fit. Cover with another 1 ⅓ cups sauce, a layer of celery root, then finish with the remaining 1 ⅓ cups sauce and the remaining mozz and Parm. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the celery root can be pierced with a skewer, 20–25 minutes. Crank up the broiler and broil until the cheese browns a bit further, 1–3 minutes depending on your broiler. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.