Scacchi (Mediterranean Passover "lasagna")

Name: Scacchi (Mediterranean Passover "lasagna")
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 8-10 matzos; 236.59 ml chicken broth or 236.59 ml stock, warm; 3 eggs, beaten with a little broth; 680.38 g ground beef or 680.38 g lamb; 1 onion, chopped; 1-2 garlic clove; 59.14 ml fresh parsley, chopped; 2.46 ml allspice; 4.92 ml cinnamon; 236.59 ml raisins, soaked in warm water; 680.38 g spinach; 226.79 g button mushroom, sliced; 2 medium onions, diced; 59.14 ml pine nuts; 2.46 ml nutmeg

Submitted by Sephardi Kitchen

"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."

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photo by Belgophile

Ready In:: 1hr 30mins
Ingredients:: 15
Serves:: 8

ingredients

8-10 matzos
236.59 ml chicken broth or 236.59 ml stock, warm
3 eggs, beaten with a little broth
MEAT FILLING
680.38 g ground beef or 680.38 g lamb
1 onion, chopped
1-2 garlic clove
59.14 ml fresh parsley, chopped
2.46 ml allspice
4.92 ml cinnamon
236.59 ml raisins, soaked in warm water
VEGETABLE FILLING
680.38 g spinach
226.79 g button mushroom, sliced
2 medium onions, diced
59.14 ml pine nuts
2.46 ml nutmeg

directions

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.
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.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and soak the matzah in the warm broth until slightly softened and flexible.
Grease a 9x13" glass pan, and place two soaked matzo in the bottom of the dish, with the edges overlapping slightly.
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.
Drizzle the beaten egg/chicken broth along the top of the dish.
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.

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Reviews

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.

Belgophile

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Sephardi Kitchen

I am a junior at the University of Illinois @ Urbana Champaign, studying Speech and Hearing Science with a concentration in Audiology. I grew up in a very small rural town in northern Illinois and attended a residential high school (IMSA) in Aurora. I love soccer, fishing, dissecting stuff, drawing and painting, henna, pyrography, knitting (although I am not very good at it!) cooking and prowling for recipes online, Judaism, reading, rock climbing, and the outdoors. I hope to pursue a doctorate in Audiology (AuD) after undergrad. I have always loved cooking and trying new foods, and moving into my first apartment has been a wonderful opportunity to do so. However, it has also been quite a transition getting used to actually cooking for myself everyday, without making a huge ordeal. I do believe I am getting better at fixing a meal in a more efficient amount of time :)

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