Pesto lasagna with linzer torte

Sean asked for an old recipe I've been making for 20 years. This time I had home grown basil and tomatoes so it was extra delicious.

I always make linzertorte for his birthday (as requested). I skipped the basket weave top this year due to time constraints.

Pesto Lasagna 

 Ingredients for pesto sauce:

• 4 cups lightly packed basil leaves (or 4 cups spinach and 5 tablespoons dry basil)
• 6 oz Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup shelled walnuts (optional)

Process above ingredients in food processor until thoroughly combined.

Ingredients for Lasagna

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 2 cups (approximate) of above pesto sauce
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 3 medium sliced Roma tomatoes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350
Boil noodles as package directs.  Rinse in cold water and drain.  Mix pesto sauce with half n half.  Spread the thinnest layer possible of sauce on bottom of pan (to basically grease it). Layer noodles, super thin layer of sauce, mushrooms, and cheese 3 times.  (most lasagna pans are three noodles across)  Take care to go super thin on the sauce just barely spreading/covering the noodle. You can increase on top layer if there is lots left over because it will cook down into it.  (I always feel like I don't have enough sauce but when it's done it's perfect)...finish the top with the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with parmesan.  Cook for 45-55 minutes until bubbly.

 

Linzertorte

Ingredients:

• 12 oz jar of raspberry jam (about a cup)
• 1 3/4 sticks butter (14 tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and ground fine (some stores carry this already ground)
• 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips ground fine in a food processor (about 1/2 cup)
• option to top with whipped cream

Preheat oven to 375
In a small saucepan boil the jam and let cool.  While it's heating up...cream together butter and sugar until it's fluffy, beat in egg yolks, cinnamon, zest and salt until smooth.  Add flour and beat until "just" combined.  Beat in hazelnuts and chocolate.

OK..if you have time you can do the lattice top or you can press all into an 11 inch tart pan with removable  rim and spread on the jam and cook for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Directions for lattice top:
Press a little more than half the dough into the tart pan.  Roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a round slightly thicker than 1/8 inch and freeze for 15 minutes.  Spread jam on tart shell to within 1/4 inch edge.  Remove round from freezer and top sheet of wax paper and cut into 1/2 inch strips.  arrange the strips into a lattice pattern over the jam/tarte.  Trim the ends of the strips at teh edge of the pan and with remaining dough press a 1/4 inche reim of dough around the edge.  Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  *special note...if you don't have these strips cold when baked they will sort of melt together.

HISTORY
The first time I made this in 1994, I couldn't find shelled hazelnuts so I shelled them, roasted them and skinned them...then processed them into a fine consistency....it was the most labor intensive dessert I've ever made.  I think it's why my husband asks for this on his birthday...he thinks if I will make this then I truly love him.  Well, times have changed and I can find roasted shell hazelnuts to food process  but this past year...I found it processed into a fine meal consistency...making this a normal effort recipe.