Scacchi-- Italian Passover Lasagna

Sephardi Kitchen's Note:

This traditional Sephardic Passover main course uses leaven-free matzo in place of regular lasagna noodles, and has a delicious meat and spinach/mushroom filling.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 8 -10 matzos
• 1 cup chicken broth or 1 cup stock , warm
• 3 eggs , beaten with a little broth

MEAT FILLING

• 1 ½ lbs ground beef or 1 ½ lbs lamb
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 -2 garlic clove
• ¼ cup fresh parsley , chopped
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins , soaked in warm water

VEGETABLE FILLING

• 1 ½ lbs spinach
• ½ lb button mushroom , sliced
• 2 medium onions , diced
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1. Prepare the meat filling. In a medium pan, cook the meat with the onions and a little olive oil until browned, drain off fat. Add the raisins, parsley, allspice and cinnamon, cook for another couple of minutes. Set the meat mixture aside.
2. Now for the vegetable filling! In a little olive oil, cook the onions until translucent, then add the pine nuts and sliced mushrooms, cook for a couple minutes longer. Stir in the spinach (with a bit of water if the spinach isn't frozen) and nutmeg. Cook until the spinach is wilted, set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and soak the matzah in the warm broth until slightly softened and flexible.
4. Grease a 9x13" glass pan, and place two soaked matzo in the bottom of the dish, with the edges overlapping slightly.
5. Spread a layer of the meat mixture atop the matzo, followed by more matzo. Add a layer of the vegetables. Continue until the filling runs out, then top the pan with a final soaked matzo layer.
6. Drizzle the beaten egg/chicken broth along the top of the dish.
7. Bake until golden brown on top, about 30-45 minutes. If the top layer of matzo curls up or gets too crispy, you may want to pour a little additional broth over it.

Reviews

[Belgophile]

We're not Jewish and Passover was two weeks ago, but this caught my eye. It sounded good, and it was. For us, it was a completely new take on lasagna -- a delicious combination of unexpected spices and ingredients. Made for PAC 2010.