Two-Cheese Moussaka with Mushrooms and Zucchini

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What is Moussaka, you ask? THAT is Moussaka.

I like to call it Greek Lasagna, although that’s by no means a common name for it (unless we can get it to spread). The real rundown is that it’s an Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dish, usually made with eggplant, although this version doesn’t call for it. It is warmth and deliciousness layered between noodles with some cheesiness added on for good measure.

And you must make it for dinner. Seriously. It will be one of the best things you eat.

This summer, during our trip to ~~Heaven~~ Greece, we were introduced to Moussaka, along with a lot of other Greek food we fell in love with. Following a week in Italy, the Greece portion of the vacation did not give us have high expectations for the food. We expected olives, feta, hummus, and……that’s about all we concluded. We anticipated being hungry. And in need of pasta.

Instead, we were so happily surprised to find that the Greek food rivaled the Italian food we had stuffed ourselves with for eight days straight when it came to deliciousness. There was lamb, chicken, and beef, along with all the cheese my little heart desired, and VEGETABLES. We hadn’t seen a single vegetable in Italy (not that we missed them in our carb-coma) and we were happy to see the grilled and fresh veggies galore on our Greek plates!

Can we just take a little detour so I can wish I was here right now….. Le sigh.

Back to Moussaka, a hearty (perfect-for-Lent-because-it’s-meat-free) meal that will prove to you that the Greeks have it right!

Two-Cheese Moussaka with Mushrooms and Zucchini, from Moosewood Cookbook
serves 6

1/8 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, no salt added, juices reserved
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 small containers (about 1 lb.) cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
2 medium zucchinis, sliced into 1/2 inch thick disks
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles (about 15 noodles)
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until warm. Add 1/4 of the onions and all of the garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato paste, and water and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce over medium heat about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil; season with salt and pepper.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/8 cup of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes longer. Add the wine and soy sauce and boil until the liquid has reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the dill.

You will want to sample this at least once. It is insanely tasty!

Toss the zucchini with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the suzcchini on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes, until softened. Lower the oven to 350ºF.

To assemble the Moussaka in an 8×8 baking dish:

Spread 1/6 of the tomato sauce (about 1/3 cup) on the bottom of the dish; it won’t be thick, but don’t worry! Arrange 1/3 of the uncooked noodles on the sauce, overlapping them slightly.
Top with another 1/6 of the sauce, 1/3 of the mushrooms and half of the zucchini; season with salt and pepper.
Repeat with another 1/6 of sauce, another layer of noodles, 1/6 more of the sauce, 1/3 of the mushrooms, and the remaining zucchini, then season.

Top with the last 1/6 of the sauce and the remaining noodles, then cover with the remaining sauce and mushrooms. Press the moussaka down slightly.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the feta; pour over the top of the moussaka. Season with pepper and sprinkle with provolone. Bake the moussaka for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving…..if you can wait that long.
While you’re waiting, open up and enjoy some wine….we opened up this bottle from Santorini.