Setting the table for spring hosting
My Passover menu and a recipe for the easiest matzah lasagna!
Hi!
As we collectively thaw from winter and enter a new season, below is a menu for Passover hosting (with links) and a recipe for matzah lasagna (scroll to the bottom).
But first…
Stuck on what to cook during Passover? I’ll be teaching a class featuring 3 easy vegetarian dishes for The Nosher on April 3rd at 4 PM PT/ 7 PM ET. Tickets are $18 and available here.
Whether you’re planning to cook/host for Passover in a few weeks, or simply want to celebrate the flavors and ingredients of the season with friends, I’m sharing my menu ideas for this year. For more tips, inspiration, and hosting suggestions, check out our recent episode of Food Friends, where my co-host Kari Lauritzen and I share 4 menus for spring hosting.
You can also find my recipes for matzah ball soup, haroset, braised lamb, brisket, flourless brownies, and more in my cookbook: Braids.
Passover Menu 2025
Starters: These Parsi deviled eggs that Kari shared on the pod! I’m also thinking of vegan chopped liver by Aly Miller or a vegetarian chopped liver without kitniyot from Busy in Brooklyn. There will be smoked fish, and it will come from The Smokery.
Soup: Always and forever matzah ball soup— depending on who is at my table, I make either a chicken or a vegetarian version (the recipe is in Braids!).
Salads: Asparagus, sugar snap pea, radish salad with dill by Wyse Guide, or a simple fennel and orange salad from Jamie Oliver, or this ambitious but exciting-sounding beet slaw with pistachios and raisins from Six Seasons.
Mains: Charred chicken with blood oranges and sweet potatoes by Nate Appleman is always a beautiful main (I skip the chickpeas and feta and sometimes swap fennel for sweet potatoes), or Alison Roman’s braised brisket with horseradish and shallots, or this pomegranate-laquered salmon from Adeena Sussman.
Sides: Fall-apart caramelized cabbage by Andy Barghani (could also work as a veggie main), or a vibrant platter of green spring vegetables, or a tray of simple roasted potatoes by Ina Garten (thanks to Kari’s suggestion).
Dessert: Almond cake with strawberry compote from Chaya Rappoport (but I will likely add rhubarb to my compote!), or dairy-free marshmallow brownies from Adeena Sussman, or an egg-free chocolate mousse (swap coconut cream in place of heavy whipping cream to make it dairy-free). And when you want to keep it easy, chocolate-covered strawberries are always a hit.
What is your favorite springtime recipe?
Once you’re halfway into Passover and the leftovers from Seder are long gone, do you find yourself craving something that will scratch the itch for doughy bread and silky pasta? That’s when I whip up a matzah lasagna, or “matzagna” as it’s more lovingly called. There’s a long history of matzah-layered casseroles served at Pesach, like Sephardic mina, a popular Passover matzah pie made with layers of cooked spinach and melty cheese.
The recipe below simplifies as many steps as possible by utilizing prepared ingredients while leaving room to customize and personalize your matzah lasagna. It also freezes beautifully, so make it ahead and stash it in the freezer until you’re in need of a quick weeknight meal.
RECIPE: Easy Matzah Lasagna
Serves 6-8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
6-7 sheets matzah
3½ cups (1 jar / 25 oz) marinara or your favorite tomato sauce
2 (16 oz) containers whole-milk ricotta
1 cup chopped basil, plus more for garnish
4-5 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stems, about 2 tsps
1 large egg
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper, to taste
5 cups (16 oz) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
1½ cups (5 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Add the ricotta, chopped basil, thyme, egg, salt, and pepper to a bowl and mix until just combined.
Assemble the lasagna in a 9”x13” casserole dish that is at least 2.5”-3” deep. Start by adding 1 cup of the marinara to the bottom of the dish. Layer 2 sheets of matzah on the bottom; break as needed to fit them into a single layer. Top the matzah with 2 cups of the ricotta mixture (half of the mixture) and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Evenly top the ricotta with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella and ½ a cup of shredded cheddar.
Repeat the process by dolloping 1 cup of sauce over the shredded cheese. Top the sauce with 2 sheets of matzah, the remaining 2 cups of the ricotta mixture, followed by 2 cups of shredded mozzarella, and ½ a cup of shredded cheddar.
For the last layer, top the cheese layer with 2 sheets of matzah, then finish it off with the remaining tomato sauce (if you enjoy a saucier lasagna, you can add an additional cup of tomato sauce over the top before you finish it off with the shredded cheeses). Add the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and ½ cup of cheddar. Finally, sprinkle the parmesan over the top.
Cover the lasagna with foil, and bake for 30 minutes covered.
Uncover the lasagna and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until browned and bubbly on top. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving so that the lasagna can set and hold its shape.
Notes:
This recipe requires one full jar of marinara, but if you like a saucier lasagna, add an additional cup (or a small 8 oz jar) of tomato sauce to the top of the lasagna.
To make the lasagna ahead, bake for 30 minutes covered, remove from the oven, and allow to cool fully. Refrigerate or freeze the lasagna. If refrigerated, reheat at 375°F for 15 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered; if it’s frozen, reheat for 25 minutes covered and 20-25 minutes uncovered or until fully heated through.