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Ukrainian: Ukrainian Noodle and Spinach Casserole

Source of Recipe

From "Bake Until Bubbly" by Clifford Wright


Recipe Introduction

"This beautiful casserole, called lokshyna zapechena z shpynatom in Ukrainian, is a favorite home-cooked meal in many Ukrainian homes. It is filling, nourishing, and satisfying. Traditionally, the egg noodles are homemade too, but you can use any flat egg noodle. You can prepare the casserole ahead of time, with everything in place except the hard-boiled egg garnish, and store it in the refrigerator until needed. When baking it after it has been refrigerated, remember to keep it in the oven a little longer than called for in the recipe so that it will be hot in the center."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ ½ pound flat egg noodles
â—¦ ¾ (about 2 ½ ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ 2 ½ to 3 pounds spinach leaves without stems, rinsed well
â—¦ 1 medium onion, finely chopped
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ½ cup fine dry bread crumbs
â—¦ 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered



Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-3-inch round baking casserole with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Bring a large pot of abundantly salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Remove the noodles by pulling them out of the water with tongs or a pasta fork and transfer them to a large bowl; allow the water to continue boiling. Toss the noodles with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, half of the cheese, and ½ teaspoon of salt.

Add the spinach to the boiling salted pasta water, and cook until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute, then drain the spinach in a strainer, squeezing out the excess water with the back of a wooden spoon. Finely chop the spinach and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over high heat, then add the onion. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach, increase the heat to high, and cook uncovered, stirring almost constantly, until the moisture in the pan has completely evaporated and the spinach has begun to stick slightly to the pan, about 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and some black pepper.

Arrange one-third of the noodle mixture in a layer on the bottom of the casserole. Place half of the spinach on top. Cover the spinach with the next third of the noodle mixture, then cover with the remaining spinach. Add the remaining noodle mixture as the top layer.

In a medium-size skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat, then remove from the burner and stir in the bread crumbs and remaining cheese. Quickly sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the noodles. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Garnish with the hard-boiled eggs, and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings