Calabrian Lasagne (Calabria)

Pasta

Ingredients

Artichokes - 3 young

Lemon - 1

Olive oil - 4 tbsps

Salt

Lasagne noodles - 1 1/4 pounds

Meat sauce - 1 1/4 cups

Hard-boiled eggs, quartered - 4

Fresh provola or mozzarella cheese, diced - 1/2 pound

Grated pecorino cheese - 3/4 cup

Meatballs:

Finely ground pork - 1 cup

Olive oil 

Grated pecorino cheese - 4 tbsps

Egg - 1

Salt and pepper

Vegetable mixture:

Olive oil - 1/2 cup

Onion, finely chopped - 1 small

Carrot, finely chopped- 1

Celery, finely chopped - 1 stalk

Dried Mushrooms, softened - 1 oz

Salt

Meatballs: Saute the pork gently in 2 1/2 tbsps olive oil until browned, crumbling it with a fork. Take the pan from the heat and mix the pork with the grated cheese, egg, a pinch of salt and a generous sprinkling of pepper. Shape into tiny balls the size of large peas, and fry in plenty of hot oil until well browned. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

Vegetable mixture: Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion, carrot and celery until softened. Add the soaked mushrooms, squeezed dry and chopped, season with a little salt and simmer for 10 minutes. Keep warm.

Trim the artichokes, cut them into quarters. Drop them into cold water acidulated with lemon juice until they are all prepared. Drain, pat dry and saute in olive oil for about 20 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and moisten occasionally with a few tbsps of boiling water.

Boil the lasagne noodles, a few at a time, in a large pan of salted water. As soon as they are tender, drain them and leave them to dry on a damp cloth, well spaced apart.

Moisten the bottom fo a deep earthenware baking dish about 12 inches in diameter with hot meat or tomato sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagne and spread with a tbsp of the sauce. Scatter a few meat balls over the surface, followed by some of the mushroom mixture, a few pieces of artichoke and hard boiled egg, diced cheese and a generous sprinkling of grated cheese. Continue in this manner until all the ingredients are used up, ending with a layer of lasagne noodles spread with sauce and sprinkled generously with grated cheese. Bake in a slow oven (350F) for 30 minutes or until the top is bubbling and golden, and serve very hot.

Serves 6-8