For all you cheese lovers out there, this Passover delicacy is a must-have. This matzah lasagna does not mess around- it’s cheesy, crispy and packed with flavor. Also super easy to make. Happy Passover and chag sameach!
Matzah Lasagna So Good You’ll Want It All Year ‘Round
Servings
6 Servings
Ingredients
- 28 ounces tomato sauce 800 grams
- ½ onion chopped
- ½ bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 zucchini chopped
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Small bunch fresh basil
- 12 ounces ricotta cheese 300 grams, shredded
- 12 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 3 sheets matzo
Instructions
- Some people use a jar of their favorite pasta sauce, but it’s just not the same!
- To start, heat olive oil on medium heat in a large pan. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and zucchini. Cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper. Add tomato sauce (we like to use plain tomato sauce- just blended tomatoes- no funny stuff). Simmer for 5 minutes stirring often. Add the fresh basil during the simmer. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to your preference.
- Preheat oven to 350℉/175°C.
- Time to build the lasagna. First put a small layer of sauce on the bottom of your dish.
- Soak 3 matzah sheets for 30 seconds in warm water. Shake off excess water. Place one sheet of matzah on top of the sauce. If you’re using a wide dish, you might need more matzah to fill the shape.
- Then spread ⅓ of the ricotta on the matzah.
- Then ⅓ of the mozzarella.
- Then ⅓ of the Parmesan.
- Then sauce again and repeat layers.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 25 more minutes. If the top is still not browning around the edges put it under the broiler for a few minutes until golden.
Two points to make
— NOODLES are not Kosher for Passover
— If someone has lots of leftover Matza from Passover, this is a useful substitution
So delicious ! I don’t like the taste of matsot, and in that dish, I LOVE !!!
Thank you for this fabulous recipe. This lasagna was really delicious . A little time consuming to prepare with all the veggies to chop, but really, really worth it. Tasted just like regular lasagna. Will be making this next Pesach too.
We do say 3 matzo sheets in the preparation but it yes it should be added to the ingredient list as well.
Thank you for your note. I read the instructions but missed the matzoh in them. Nice that ingredient list will show quantities – makes it easier to plan shopping and overall menus.
Too bad there’s no mention of matzah or its amount in the ingredients list. Please fix.
We love how it comes out this way, but I haven’t tried it with egg to compare.
Not sure if anyone will read this anytime soon…but I want to make a kip lasagna. Most recipes use eggs mixed in with the cheese. this is the first i’ve seen without any eggs. How does it come out just with the cheeses and no eggs for binding. ?? Thanks
Most gluten free noodles would have ingredients that Ashkenazim consider kitniyot, like rice, and they don’t eat them on Passover. And then there is always an issue of cross contamination so you would need to find special kosher for Passover noodles and truthfully the matzo works really well here, probably better than most gluten free products.
Couldn’t you just use gluten free lasagna noodles to make it Passover friendly?
Yay, we love comments like this
All I can say is did you make it as she listed? I have made it twice in 2 weeks using Yehudah’s Ancient Grain Spelt Matzah (saving the last 3 matzah for the 2nd lasagna) and she is right; I want to have it all year round. The lack of noodles actually makes it easier for me to eat as it is not nearly as filling and the matzah melds beautifully with all the other ingredients, that which of course you can change up to you own desire or to use up what is getting ready to go bad in the fridge. Plus it is so darn easy after all the other Pesach cooking. 😀 Thank you Jamie Geller, for sharing you are stellar in the Kosher Cooks Kitchen! 😉
Thank you very much for this. I keep all my recipes in email folders so they can easily be searched for and found and this one is now there. I am not sure if I will be making it this Passover but I am eager to try it out. I presume there is enough in the batch for one lasagna in a 9×11″ pan. You referred to Lizzie Kander and searching came up with “The Settlement Cook Book” by Mrs. Simon Kander. Is this who you were referring to? If so, I am wondering if it is worth getting?
Ban Atman, sorry I didn’t see your writing me back. Yes, the Lizzie Kander book was one of three de-facto cookbooks. It was originally published in 1903. I would not suggest any revised editions. The ones to get were from the early 1950’s. I have two of them. They are a great reference and piece of history. Also, it is a storied Jewish origin (even though there are traif recipes, too). However, I would highly suggest it as a must have kitchen reference.
How much of each ingredient for the homemade noodles? I presume you mix together well, roll out and boil before applying to lasagna?
In a ratio of two to one for potato starch to matzah cake meal. Add eggs for the protein and enough water to me it about the consistency of heavy cream.
½ cup of potato starch
¼ cup of matzah meal
6 eggs
And
the rest in water to the consistency mentioned. This seemed to be a good ratio of starch to protein. Blend in about two tablespoons of oil to the batter and lightly coat a nonstick pan with oil. Pour the batter in the pan over a low heat, to the thickness desired for your noodles. Heat until the surface has dried. Flip and cook another 10 to 20 seconds. Let me know if you have any questions.
Cut the “noodle crepes” to fit the layers of lasagna. It’s quicker, more reliable, doesn’t require rolling and is indistinguishable from normal lasagna. I adapted the technique to that Lizzie Kander recipe, but modified the ratios to lighten the recipe.
I think that this is the worst idea for a lasagna substitute. It lacks creativity and really demonstrates how bad kosher cooking can get. I recommend no one do this. Make your own noodles. It’s so easy, and can’t be differentiated from real lasagna. All you need is matzah cake meal, potato starch, egg, water and oil. I’ve run classes to teach how to improvise and adapt recipes for Passover that are actually palatable. Nothing disgusting like this. Passover doesn’t ruin your options for having a decent meal.