Matzo is the traditional unleavened bread eaten by Jews during Passover. A very dry kind of cracker, matzah needs something to liven it up. Those of us who grew up eating it have had to get creative for meals. We’re talking matzo pizza, matzo tuna melts, matzo nachos…the list goes on. At least for me, though, matzo lasagna (or my actual preferred spelling, matzah lasagna) had never been part of that list. Not for lack of interest — simply because I hadn’t heard of it.
One year, early on in my relationship with my wife, Sarah, we hosted a potluck seder. As we needed a vegetarian main course, Sarah came up with this version based on her recollections. She may have also had a craving for the Bay Area’s best pizza (I know, fighting words), the stuffed spinach-mushroom pizza from Zachary’s. Now I can’t go a year without this amazing creation. For a vegetarian main course during Passover, it’s hard to beat Sarah’s matzo lasagna.
Something formerly dry and unforgiving becomes a moist, delicious support for layers of tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, spinach, and mushrooms. Even if you don’t have a potluck to go to, your family will happily devour it. Matzo lasagna is a super-easy, budget-friendly dish that reheats wonderfully. For the purists, go ahead and use plain (non-egg) matzo, but egg matzo has just that extra softness and flavor that really makes the dish work.
Ingredients
- 4 T olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 scallions chopped
- 1 bunch uncooked spinach chopped (about 2-3 cups)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced about 1/4″ thick
- 1 t kosher salt
- 32 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 T dried basil
- 1 T dried oregano
- 6 sheets egg matzo
- 25 oz tomato sauce
- 16 oz shredded mozzarella
- 3 T grated parmesan
- 1 sprig fresh Italian parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sauté chopped scallions and garlic in 2T of the olive oil, constantly stirring until the garlic is lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
- Mix the sautéed scallions and garlic, plus the salt and half of the basil and oregano into the ricotta.
- Sauté spinach and mushrooms in the remaining oil until the mushrooms are lightly browned but still plump, about 5 minutes. Drain off liquid.
- Take two sheets of egg matzo, one at a time, and run briefly under cold water to lightly coat. Shake off excess. Place the two sheets side by side on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. If the matzo overlaps, break off the overlap and rearrange pieces as necessary to fill the layer.
- Spread half of the ricotta mixture evenly in a layer over the pieces of matzo.
- Arrange half the spinach and mushrooms evenly over the ricotta layer.
- Spread a third of the tomato sauce over the spinach layer.
- Sprinkle a cup of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the tomato sauce.
- Sprinkle 1T of the parmesan evenly over the mozzarella.
- Wet two more sheets of matzo as before, then lay on top of the cheese, breaking and rearranging as necessary to form a single layer, and repeat steps 6-10.
- Wet two sheets of matzo as before and lay on top, breaking and rearranging as necessary to form a single layer.
- Spread the remaining tomato sauce over the top, followed by the remaining mozzarella and then a layer of the remaining parmesan. Sprinkle the remaining basil and oregano on top. Optional: garnish in the center with a sprig of fresh Italian parsley, pressing the parsley gently into the cheese.
- Bake uncovered on the middle rack of the oven until cheese browns, about 30-45 minutes. Bring immediately to the party, covered with foil, or save for the next day and reheat at 350° for 20 minutes before bringing.
Comments
We love this recipe! I sometimes add zucchini or more mushrooms ,and the balance of the gooey cheese with the veggies is perfect. Even without egg matzah, you almost don’t miss the noodles.
I can’t comment on how the lasagna reheats, because between the adults and kids at the table there is never any left! Use your biggest casserole/Pyrex.
Thank you so much, Lisa! So happy your family loves it and that it’s so flexible with whatever fillings you use.
My family (which includes 2 teenage boys) just devoured this. My 14 y/o said it was better than some non-matzah lasagnas he’s had! I added an extra cup of spinach; you could probably double the spinach and it would be fine since it always cooks down so much. It was easy and delicious.
Thank you so much, Mimi! Absolutely, adding more spinach and mushrooms will help make a more solid layer of filling. So happy you and your family enjoyed it, and that’s quite a compliment from your son!