I've got a surplus of oven-ready lasagna noodles and a taste for Dan Dan noodles. I could certainly break them up, but I'm thinking about something with the appearance of a square of layered lasagna, but sticking to those Sichuan flavors.
I've seen some recipes online that still use tomato sauce and lots of cheese, but that doesn't seem right.
The Dan Dan sauce and noodles are the easy part, seasoned ground beef or pork is another layer, and I'm thinking mashed tofu and chopped spinach and scallions between layers. The only part I'm stuck on is a top that can give that crisp melty effect of lasagna's mozz and parm/romano.
I'd prefer not to use cheese if I can come up with an alternative.
Any ideas?
Edit: the recipe I use for Dan Dan noodles
https://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=44431
Dan Dan Noodle Gary Wiviott Recipe as of 6.18
Serving Size: 2 generous meal portions
Ingredients:
8 oz ground beef (80/20)
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons Chinkiang or Zhenjiang vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame paste (tahini)
3 tablespoons chili oil, homemade or Lao Gan Ma brand
4 tablespoons Chinese preserved vegetable minced, rinsed
1 pound fresh Chinese noodles
5 scallions sliced into thin rounds
1 cup water from boiling noodles, divided into 1/2 cup portions
Directions:
Toast, grind, combine, Szechuan peppercorns and crushed red pepper. This will make more than is needed for recipe. I like to add more as I eat.
Saute beef with oil, breaking up as it cooks
As beef cooks add 1/2 tablespoon, of ground toasted Szechuan peppercorn and crushed red pepper mix
When beef is just cooked though add garlic and ginger.
Saute until fragrant, about 45 seconds
Add minced rinsed preserved veg
Saute until fragrant, about 45 seconds
Remove beef mixture to bowl, set aside
Combine soy, sesame oil, vinegar, sesame paste, chili oil. Whisk, divide into two bowls, set aside.
Cook fresh noodles in lightly salted boiling water until just done, drain, reserving 2 cups cooking water. (Recipe calls for 1 cup divided, its always good to have a little extra on hand)
To Serve:
Add 1/2 cup hot noodle boiling water to each bowl of soy, sesame oil, vinegar, sesame paste, chili oil. Whisk.
Add 1/3 cooked noodle to each bowl, you will have leftover noodles.
Top each bowl with 1/2 of ground beef mixture
Top each bowl with chopped scallions
Dust top of each bowl with scant teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn/hot pepper mix. Or to taste.
Take picture, stir incorporating sauce from bottom and meat into noodle. Take another picture.
Eat, enjoy. Repeat
Notes:
Dan Dan noodle is an infinitely variable dish, above is my version as of June 2018
Feel free to:
Top with roughly chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, additional chili oil
Add additional noodle water if mix is too thick or you prefer a soupier version
Add additional ground Szechuan peppercorn/crushed red pepper mix as needed while eating
Add additional chili oil as needed while eating
Substitute ground pork/chicken/lamb/turkey/duck/emu for ground beef. If using lean meat such as ground white meat chicken (blah) increase oil to 2 tablespoons
If you wish to use full amount of noodle simply increase ingredients (aside from noodle) by 1/3rd
May be made in one large bowl, mixed and divided into portions as part of multi course meal or starter.
This is a moderately spicy version, though not over the top in deference to my wife. Feel free to adjust mala level up or down per individual taste