Recipes

Music-Paper Bread Lasagne

  • Serves

    serves 6-8

BROOKE SLEZAK

(Pani Frattau)
Versatile, long-keeping pani carasau is a staple bread for Sardinian shepherds. It may also be turned into herb-flavored snacks, broken into bits and added to soup, deep-fried into instant fritters, or, as here, utilized as a form of pasta.

Ingredients

  • 12 lb. meaty lamb bones
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 carrot, peeled, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
  • 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 6 sheets pani carasàu (music-paper bread)
  • 2 cups freshly grated young pecorino
  • 6 cups sa campidanesa (tomato sauce), hot
  • 6-8 eggs

Instructions

Step 1

Put bones, onions, carrots, celery, oil, salt, and 10 cups cold water into a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until stock has reduced by half, about 1 hour. Strain stock into a medium bowl, discarding solids. Strain stock again through a large sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth into a small saucepan. Keep stock hot over low heat.

Step 2

To assemble the lasagne, use 1 sheet of the music-paper bread (1) to line the bottom of a large wide deep dish, breaking it into pieces, if necessary, to fit inside the dish and completely cover its bottom. Scatter a few pinches of cheese over bread. Moisten bread here and there with a small ladleful (about 1⁄4 cup) of the hot stock (2). Spread a larger ladleful (about 1 cup) of the hot tomato sauce completely over bread (3), then sprinkle with a small handful (3–4 tbsp.) of cheese (4). Repeat layering process in this order 5 more times, gently pressing bread onto tomato sauce before adding cheese and stock, making 6 layers in all and ending with tomato sauce and cheese. Set aside until bread is completely hydrated and tender, about 30 minutes.

Step 3

Bring remaining stock (you should have about 3 cups) to a simmer in a medium skillet over medium heat. Working in two batches, crack 3-4 eggs into simmering stock, cover skillet, and poach until whites are just firm, 2 1⁄2-3 minutes per batch. Transfer eggs with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Set 1 poached egg in center of lasagne. Serve lasagne at room temperature. Topping each serving with a poached egg.

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