Recipe - Mazzagne Al Pesto (Matzo Lasagna With Pesto Sauce)

1 cup Firmly packed fresh basil
leaves
6 lg Sprigs Italian parsley,
stems removed
One half cup Walnuts
Three fourths cup Extravirgin olive oil
Three fourths cup Grated Italian Parmesan
cheese or kosher Passover
cheese
Salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste
8 tablespoon (1stick) unsalted butter
6 tablespoon Passover cake meal
1 cup Hot milk
1 cup Ricotta cheese (can
substitute pot cheese if
kosher or Passover ricotta
cannot be located)
8 Egg matzos
1 cup Milk

There was a very interesting article and interview with Edda Servi Machlin,
author of the twovolume "Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews", Giro Press,
Box 203, CrotononHudson, NY 10520, in Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer. I
am posting the two recipes which were featured in the article.

Pulse basil in bowl of food processor with parsley and garlic until finely
chopped. Add nuts and pulse few seconds longer (you will want some "crunch"
in sauce). Transfer to bowl. Add oil and cheese and stir to combine. Season
to taste with salt and pepper. Let pesto sauce stand at room temperature at
least 1 hour before using.

Meanwhile, heat butter and cake meal in saucepan and cook 2 minutes,
stirring frequently. Add hot milk all at once and cook 2 minutes longer,
stirring vigorously with wire wisk. Add ricotta cheese and simmer,
stirring, until ricotta is almost completely melted.

Coat bottom of deep 8inch square baking dish, which should be slightly
larger than the matzo, with 1 tablespoon pesto sauce. Make alternate layers
with matzo, pesto sauce, then dollps of ricotta sauce. Continue to make
layers until all ingredients are used, ending with ricotta sauce. Use
spatula to spread sauce evenly over top. Pour remaining 1 cup milk over
top. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling.
Cut into 8 squares. Serve immediately with salad. Makes eight servings.

Adapted from "The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews, II".

Nutritional data per serving: Calories, 537; protein, 15 grams;
carbohydrates, 34 grams; fat, 39 grams; cholesterol, 68 milligrams; sodium,
277 milligrams. Posted to EATL Digest 13 Apr 97 by Jean Jones
bruja@DPLUS.NET on Apr 14, 1997