Lasagne artichokes, mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce

Among the privation, some painless others quite hard to digest, the 'sugo' for the lasagne.

Now, there is not much to say about the variety of lasagne recipes, but one thing is certain, in the traditional recipe meat cannot be missing. We can debate on the mozzarella instead of the bechamel, or of cream, or on the presence of ragu, meat balls or of lean meat, but meat is the tastier ingredient of this holiday Italian cuisine dish.

Not giving  up on lasagne means, if going vegetarian, looking for credible alternatives. Soy instead of meat, in whatever shape, minced, meatballs or stew, is definetely not an option to calm the desire of meat, and is actually one of those foods that could make the most convinced vegetarian change the convictions. Typical green and white lasagne with bechamel or cream and vegetables is probably a tasty option but has nothing to do with the classic baking tray dripping with sugo and mozzarella (or bechamel or cream).

To make it simple, lasagne in my own family are with mozzarella and sugo, the sugo being tomato sauce cooked with lean meat and a lot of basil, whoever tried them remembers the taste with great pleasure, and to me it's one of the most tasty and delicious recipe ever. Saying no to that lasagne is not easy. I tried with the simple basil and tomato sauce and mozzarella, taste good but nothing compared to that wonder of flavours. Then I tried to make use of the masterly creative family ability and I added mushrooms to the sugo. A well-made attempt, but the carnivourous instinct was in abush. Then the metanoia on the road to Damascus, a memory of a family meeting: fresh 'sugo' with sun ripened tomatoes and artichokes.

Artichokes have an unmistakable taste and are ideal for lasagne, a perfect harmony. So, there are two possible recipes, one for a holiday lunch and the other for a dinner with friends after a long working day.

Fresh eggs
Sabina wheat milled traditionally 

Extra virgin PDO olive oil
Salt

Mozzarella from the Agro Pontino or the Agro Romano
Sun ripened tomatoes or bottled sugo
Chilli

Globe artichokes
Grated grana padano
Butter
Pennyroyal or peppermint

If you  have never seen how to prepare a 'sfoglia' it's much better to go to the fresh egg pasta shop and buy the sheets of fresh sfoglia. Parboil in salty water the rectangles of sfoglia, put them in an oiled baking tray and add abundant sugo, abundant mozzarella chopped in cubes and, for who likes it, abundant grated grana padano.

Sugo is made with well cleaned fresh artichokes, cleared from the 'hair', kept in water and lemon juice and browned in extra virgin PDO olive oil adding pennyroryal and peppermint . Depending on the season, add fresh sun ripened tomatoes or the sugo with basil bottled during hot months and stored in the  cupboard. Cook at medium heat the time to get the flavour keeping firm the slices of artichokes. Cover with a layer of parboiled sfoglia and then sugo, mozzarella, grana. The number of layers varies depending on the bakery tray and the number of people The latter is sugo and some ribbons of butter. Bake in the warm oven (200°C220C°) and cook for at least 45 minutes. 

For the quick recipe use the ready to use dried sfoglia that can be found in shops, The result is obviously different but tastes nice.

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