Ingredients:

•1 (8-ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 pounds ricotta cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
• 1 orange, zested
• 1/2 cup roasted pistachios
• 4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely grated



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 1 minute. Drain them and put them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and lay on paper towels to dry.
Layers:

Mix the ricotta, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, chocolate chips and orange zest. Spread 1/4 of the mixture onto the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Sprinkle some pistachios on top and then layer on the noodles. Repeat. Layer on the rest of the ricotta mixture and pistachios. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle the white chocolate over the top while hot. Let it cool and then serve.
The recipe comes without a preparation time estimate, but, excluding a noodle disaster, it should take about an hour. Don’t assume the “no boil” noodles will make your life easy: The recipe still calls for you to boil them and they tend to stick together (even after being prepared like normal noodles).

After the sticky noodle issue is resolved, the lasagna creation can commence — layers of chocolate, pistachios and noodles. Be warned, though, because your problems are just beginning. The white chocolate shavings that will be spread atop the dish tend to fall flat, causing melted white chocolate drizzle all over your creation. This may or may not be an advantage, depending on your desired design.

Once cooled, it‘s time for a taste test. This particular chef’s reaction? “Oh, this is weird.” The flavor was there, chocolaty but not overpowering. What was surprising was the strong burst of orange, although the texture killed any sort of positive response from me. The ricotta cheese made it grainy, and even though the pistachios added a crunch, it wasn’t quite enough.


Still, while this recipe may be dead, the idea is definitely worth saving. Experiment! You might be able to try cream cheese instead, so it’s more cheesecake-like. If you’re not into pistachios, any nut will do. The noodles can also be replaced with layers of cake or graham cracker, much like a cheesecake crust.

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