It’s the middle of Passover and you’re looking for a new idea for dinner. How about a Spinach, Feta and Artichoke Matzah Lasagna?
Ironically, I always seem to crave pasta during Passover. So, I had to get creative and come up with something. Having just used matzah to make faux French Toast this morning (see: “Sono Tono“), I figured I could do the same for lasagna noodles.
And since no one was in the mood for more meat, I thought it would be a great opportunity to make a dairy lasagna. After all, what can go wrong with spinach, artichokes and cheese? It’s the best of both worlds – spinach artichoke dip and lasagna.
Preparing the Ingredients
Preparation is fairly simple as I used canned spinach and artichoke hearts. I start by draining the artichoke hearts, quartering them and then frying them on high heat until they brown.
While the artichoke hearts brown, I place 6 sheets of matzah in a tin, filled with water. The idea is to soak the matzah sheets to make them softer and more pliable. You only want to soak them for 1 minute. Then remove them from the water and place spread the matzah sheets over a towel to capture the excess water.
The next step is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven heats, combine the artichokes with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix them thoroughly.
Though you can get by with just feta and cottage cheese, I use a combination of feta, cottage, ricotta and mozzarella. All the cheeses are mixed together with the drained spinach, 2 eggs and a combination of herbs and spices.
For simplicity, I use onion and garlic powder instead of fresh onion and garlic. I also use dry dill and red pepper flakes and preserved lemon to add depth to the flavors. You can use lemon zest as well.
Constructing the Spinach, Feta and Artichoke Matzah Lasagna
Constructing the Spinach, Feta and Artichoke Matzah Lasagna is just as easy. Pre-grease a Pyrex dish or baking tin and add the first sheet of matzah. Take 1-2 heaping tablespoons of the mixture and spread it evenly over the matzah sheet. Add another matzah sheet and repeat until all 6 sheets have been used.
Drizzle a little olive oil on the top matzah (I also like to sprinkle some Mozzarella cheese) on the top to keep it from burning. Pop it in the oven for 45 minutes until the top crust is golden.
Remove from the oven and using a spatula, cut it into 6 equal pieces. Serve it warm.
Spinach, Feta & Artichoke Matzah Lasagna
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- 6 sheets Matzah
- 13.5 ounces Spinach (canned, drained)
- 14 ounces Artichoke hearts (canned, drained)
- 2 cups Cottage cheese (or substitute 1 cup with Ricotta )
- 1 cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
- ½ cup Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp lemon zest (or preserved lemon)
- 1 tsp dill
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt (to taste)
- ground pepper (to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice the artichoke hearts into quarters. Add olive oil to a large frying pan and brown the artichoke hearts on high heat.
- Soak the matzah in warm water for a minutes to soften. Remove sheets and place on towel to absorb excess water.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a pre-greased 9" x 9" pan or tin place a sheet of matzah. Spoon 1-2 heaping tablespoons of mixture and spread evenly. Cover with another sheet of matzah. Repeat until all 6 sheets of matzah have been used. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top matzah to keep it from burning. Place in oven for 45 minutes until the top matzah is golden brown.
- Using a spatula, cut into 6 even pieces. Serve warm.
NUTRITION
See more Passover recipes here.
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