Kale, bacon and cheese lasagna pouches are an elegant dinner tonight

Instead of layering, go for a different approach with this lasagna dish. Because pouches can be fun to eat too.

For a different approach to making lasagna, start by unlayering and instead stuffing pouches for a more intense flavor. The preparation is the same as when making regular layered lasagna, but it’s in the end that the surprise begins. Inside each pouch is a combination of sautéed kale with garlic and anchovies (don’t worry, it won’t taste fishy). This is already a good beginning, but coupling it with toasted pancetta, cheesy cream and a good sprinkling of Parmesan puts it over the top. From the ingredients alone, you know that when you break open those pouches, the flavor will be rich and tasty. So don’t layer this time — go for something a little bit different.

Lasagna pouches with kale, pancetta and cheese recipe

By combining sautéed kale, pancetta, cheesy cream and Parmesan, these pouches are super rich in flavor. Without the usual layering of lasagna, the taste is more intense and so good.

Yields 4

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces pancetta, diced
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 salted anchovy fillets
• 4 cups kale, chopped
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 cup chopped cheese (any mild-tasting kind)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 fresh lasagna sheets (can substitute dried)

Directions:

1. In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the pancetta, and then set it aside. Discard the fat.
2. Into the same saucepan over medium heat, pour some olive oil, and then sauté the garlic and anchovies until the anchovies melt.
3. Add the kale. Cook for about 15 minutes. If it is starting to dry up, then add a few tablespoons of water.
4. When the kale is cooked, set it aside.
5. In a small saucepan over low to medium heat, melt the butter, and then add the flour. Mix them together well, until the mixture becomes a thick paste. Gradually pour in the milk while whisking. When the milk is finished, whisk in the cheese. Set aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Over medium to high heat, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt, and then cook the fresh lasagna sheets 1 by 1 for 30 seconds each. Dry each lasagna sheet on a clean dish towel laid out flat on a table. (If using dried lasagna sheets, cooking time will increase to about 5 minutes.)
8. Into greased round food shapers or a muffin tin, place 1 lasagna sheet per shaper or per muffin tin cavity.
9. Fill each lasagna sheet with kale alternating with the cheese sauce. Distribute the pancetta and Parmesan in the pouches, and then close them by pressing and lightly squeezing together the ends.
10. Bake the lasagna pouches for 10 minutes.
11. Serve hot.

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More kale recipes

Garlic-kale pasta
Cheesy kale dip
Garlicky lentil and kale-stuffed portobello mushrooms