Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for drizzling
• 2 pounds whole squash or 1 3/4 pounds precut chunks
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fine sea salt
• 3/4 pound fresh or 1 pound dry regular or no-boil lasagna sheets
• 16 ounces whole milk ricotta
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided use
• Pinch of pepperoncini (crushed red pepper flakes), plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, about 3 large leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
• 1 pound fresh spinach, rinsed, patted dry, and coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces fontina, grated, about 1 3/4 cups

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 9×13 baking dish and spread it over the bottom and sides with a pastry brush or clean fingers; set aside.

Step 2

Peel the squash as needed and cut into a small dice, about 1/4 inch in thickness. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 10 grinds of a pepper mill, and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast in a rimmed sheet pan for 20 minutes, just until a sharp knife pierces a few pieces with barely any resistance. Cool slightly and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Step 3

Complete the following steps while the squash
is roasting. If using regular dried lasagna sheets, cook them according to package directions for
al dente, drain, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process and make them easier to handle, and set aside.

Step 4

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, pepperoncini, nutmeg, and sage; set aside.

Step 5

Heat a large frying pan. When hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic, then start adding spinach to the pan by the handful, adding more as each batch cooks down. Keep cooking until the liquid from the spinach evaporates, about 8 minutes (press the spinach against the sides of the pan with a large wooden spoon to release more liquid). Take the pan off the stove and let the spinach cool slightly, then roll it up in a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out any add remaining liquid. Add to the bowl with the squash and combine.

Step 6

Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Place a layer of lasagna sheets in the prepared baking dish, spread on 1/3 of the cheese mixture, then 1/3 of the squash mixture; sprinkle on 1/2 cup fontina and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat that sequence twice more, then top with the rest of the fontina and a drizzle of olive oil.

Step 7

Bake for 45 minutes until the cheese is bubbly
(if you’d like it more browned, place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes). Let it cool slightly before cutting into squares, dressing each one with a drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients

For homemade dough:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water, about 110°F
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
• 4 cups 00 pizza flour or bread flour
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 pounds escarole, about two heads
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 anchovies or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 4 ounces black olives, halved
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 teaspoon pepperoncini (crushed red pepper flakes)

Directions

Step 1

To make homemade dough, place the water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the kneading attachment and wait for the yeast to bloom (become foamy), about 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, the flour, and salt, and turn the mixer on low to combine the ingredients and form a ball. If the dough looks shaggy, add water, just 1/2 tablespoon at a time to avoid its getting too wet. Once a ball forms, raise the speed one notch and knead for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in a clean bowl, add the dough ball, and roll it to coat it with the oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a draft-free spot to rise until double in volume, between 60 and 75 minutes.

Step 3

While the dough is rising, prepare the escarole filling. Trim the heads and rinse the leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 teaspoon salt and the escarole and boil for 5 minutes. Transfer the escarole to a colander, drain, and squeeze
out any excess moisture with your hands or in a kitchen cloth.

Step 4

Heat a large sauté pan. When hot, dry-toast the pine nuts for 2 minutes until they turn golden, then transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Add
3 tablespoons olive oil to the pan along with
the shallots and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Whisk in the anchovies, then add the escarole, and slow-cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes to extract more liquid. When the greens stop releasing liquid, fold in the pine nuts, olives, capers, and pepperoncini, then remove from the heat.

Step 5

When the dough has risen, pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 9×13 or 12-inch round baking pan and spread it over the bottom and sides with a pastry brush or clean fingers. Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough in two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Use your hands to stretch out the larger half to a size slightly larger than your baking pan—the thinner the better (make two fists and use your knuckles on the underside of the dough). Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Add the escarole mixture, leaving a 1-inch border. Stretch out the rest of the dough and place it over the escarole to form the top crust. Press together the edges of the two dough sheets to seal them. Note: If any holes form in the dough, just pinch them together with your fingers.

Step 6

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is crusty and golden or an instant-read thermometer registers between 200° and 210°F. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

• Heaping 1/2 cup chopped fennel fronds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary needles
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 5 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane grater or mashed to a paste
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepperoncini (crushed red pepper flakes)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Add the fennel fronds and seeds, herbs, garlic, salt, both peppers, and zest to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and process until well combined.