TRIPLE TOMATO LASAGNA
PG tested
It is not tomato season yet, but who is to say we shouldn’t make a lasagna with three forms of tomatoes — crushed, diced and sliced. 16 lasagna noodles 3 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomato sauce
1 (28-ounce) can diced petite tomatoes
2 teaspoons red chili flakes, or to taste
Kosher salt to taste, divided
4 cloves garlic, grated
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons basil leaves, chiffonaded, divided
3 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into ½-inch thick slices
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
In a pot of boiling water, cook noodles al dente, according to package directions.
While noodles are cooking, make the red sauce. In a pot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring, until they are soft. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Add chili flakes and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add grated garlic.
Drain noodles and set aside.
Heat noodle pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sliced onion. Cook until slightly brown, about 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine panko and Parmesan. Add 1 teaspoon oil and mix well.
To assemble lasagna,
spread 1 cup of tomato sauce at the bottom of greased pan.
Layer with 4 lasagna noodles. Sprinkle some onion and 1 tablespoon of basil on top.
Repeat with layers of tomato sauce, noodles and basil 3 more times.
Add final layer of tomato sauce (it might be more than 1 cup). Top with panko-Parmesan mixture.
Place tomato slices so that they touch one another as the final layer. Drizzle with remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tomato edges are shrivelled and panko crumbs are golden brown. Let lasagna sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting it into squares.
Serves 8.