Summer Lasagna from Chicca's Tuscan Kitchen

We went to Chicca's home in Castagneto Carducci for a cooking class and dinner.  It was wonderful and this was my favorite part of   a very memorable meal.  She shared her recipe.  You can substitute any vegetables you have on hand. I would like to try it with butternut squash.  

SUMMER LASAGNA at Chicca’s

Ingredients

for the sauce:

850 gr fresh (very) ricotta cheese (3 ½ cups) 

500 ml fresh cream (2 cups)

100 gr parmigiano cheese (1/3 cup)

130 gr (1/2 cup) smoked mozzarella cheese. It is called scamorza in Italy and if it is difficult to find it you can choose a taste cheese and try with another flavor, maybe also gorgonzola.

12 sheets fresh lasagna noodles ready to go into the oven and very thin.

500 gr (2 ¼ cup) cherry tomatoes

5 zucchini flowers (rinsed and with the pistils removed)

basil

olive oil

salt & pepper

1. Prepare the tomatoes: clean them, cut them in quarters and put them in a bowl with olive oil, salt&pepper.

2. In a large bowl mix the ricotta cheese with the parmigiano and the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Put the smoked mozzarella cheese in a food processor in order to grate it.

3 Prepare the lasagna: take a baking pan of about 13’’x 10’’ and spread some ricotta sauce on the bottom. Put down a layer of the fresh lasagna noodles, cover them with some of the ricotta sauce. Sprinkle with some of the cherry tomatoes, smoked mozzarella cheese and basil. Repeat the layering. Then top with the last layer of fresh lasagna noodles, coating them with the remaining ricotta sauce and cherry tomatoes. Among the tomatoes put the zucchini flowers torn. Preheat the oven to 400° F and bake it for about 40 minutes until the top turns golden brown. Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.