Jordan Frosolone, the Executive Chef at NYC’s The Leopard at Des Artistes, has created a hearty lasagna dish that’s the perfect antidote for cabin fever this winter. Inspired by ingredients he encountered in Sicily several years ago, Frosolone developed this Lasagna Ennese starring the striking sheep’s milk cheese Piacentinu Ennese, from the Sicilian province of Enna.
The name Piacentinu translates to “pleasing” in the regional dialect. According to legend, this unique pecorino was developed in the 11th century, when Ruggero I, Count of Altavilla, asked cheesemakers to add a pinch of locally grown saffron to the cheese to cure his wife’s depression. The saffron—sometimes called l’oro rosso di Sicilia (Sicily’s red gold)—gives the cheese a deep yellow color, and the paste is studded with whole black peppercorns, so it is aesthetically beautiful, in addition to distinctive in flavor.
Saffron is one of the world’s most precious and expensive spices, prized not only for its culinary uses, but also for its purported benefits as an antioxidant, a mood and energy booster, and an aphrodisiac. It imparts a gentle, floral sweetness to Piacentinu Ennese, which is one of Sicily’s more mellow flavored cheeses. It is available in the US in select Eataly locations, and often at Buon’Italia in NYC.
Piacentinu Ennese
You can shave Piacentinu Ennese over salads, grate it into risotto, serve it on a cheese board with Castelvetrano olives, or incorporate it into a filling for arancini. The mild, buttery flavor of this cheese makes it a very versatile ingredient in the kitchen.
In this recipe, Frosolone makes a fonduta with the Piacentinu, and also tops the lasagna with shavings of the cheese as a garnish. The pork ragù is cooked in Marsala wine, and seasoned with fennel pollen and oregano. The final dish is incredibly satisfying, with a subtle hint of the saffron from the cheese coming through the richness of the ragù.
“It’s certainly more of a robust dish, and I wanted to make it even more overtly Sicilian with the ingredients and flavor profile,” says Frosolone. This is next-level lasagna that is absolutely worth the effort to make at home, and the pork ragù can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
Lasagna Ennese by Jordan Frosolone
Serves 8
- For the Pork Ragù
Ingredients:
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground pork
2 tablespoons Sicilian oregano
2 tablespoons fennel pollen
1 tablespoon chili flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup dry Marsala wine
1 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes
Lasagna Ennese
Method:
Pulse onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor until finely chopped.
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add pork and vegetables, oregano, fennel pollen, and chili flakes and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until moisture is almost completely evaporated and meat is well browned, 25–30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add wine to pot and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat, and simmer until moisture is almost completely evaporated, 8–10 minutes. Add tomatoes, reduce heat, and simmer; add a bit of water or chicken stock if sauce looks dry, until sauce thickens, 2½–3 hours. Let sauce cool, then cover and chill at least 12 hours or up to 2 days.
- For the Fonduta
Ingredients:
16 oz. Piacentinu Ennese cheese, cut into small dice
2 cups milk
Method:
Place milk into a small sauce pot and bring to a simmer.
Slowly incorporate cheese until the cheese has fully melted and emulsified with the milk. Add more milk if the mixture becomes too thick.
- For the Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh lasagna sheets
Pork ragù
Fonduta
Method:
Reheat the pork ragù in a large saucepan over medium heat, and heat until sauce is warmed through. Reheat the fonduta if made prior, adjusting with milk or water for consistency, if necessary.
Working in batches, cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just softened. Remove carefully with tongs and transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain noodles and stack on a baking sheet, with paper towels between each layer, making sure noodles don’t touch.
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 13x9” baking dish with olive oil.
Spread ¼ cup of the ragù in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, spread over another ¾ cup ragù, then ½ cup fonduta, and top with ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano. Repeat process 7 more times, starting with noodles and ending with Parmigiano, for a total of 8 layers.
Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake lasagna until bubbling and beginning to brown on top, 50–60 minutes. Let lasagna sit 45 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional Piacentinu slices, Parmigiano, and basil.