Mushroom and Spinach Bread-zagna
It's hard to resist, but easy to make this baked marsala mushroom, spinach and two cheese bread-zagna. You can cool and store this dish for a make-ahead meal.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 pound crimini or mixed mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4-1/3 cup Marsala wine or dry white wine
- 1/4-1/3 cup chicken stock
- 1 pound spinach, stemmed and chopped
- 1 pint half-and-half
- 6 large eggs
- A few grates of fresh nutmeg
- 8 1-inch-thick slices peasant-style white bread
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, plus softened butter, for greasing
- 12 ounces Fontina Val d'Aosta or Gruyère cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
- 1 1/2-2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the EVOO in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and brown the mushrooms until tender and dark. Stir in the thyme, garlic, shallot and some salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the Marsala and stir until almost completely evaporated. Pour in the stock, wilt in the spinach and turn off the heat.
Whisk the half-and-half with the eggs, nutmeg and some salt and pepper in a large, shallow bowl. Soak the bread, turning occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed.
Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Lay four slices of the bread on the bottom and top with the mushrooms and spinach and half of the cheeses, followed by the remaining bread and cheeses. Dot the top with the butter and bake until golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Cook's Note: Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Bring to room temperature before reheating in an oven at 325°F for 30 minutes.
