I’ve mentioned before that my husband Ed is from England and that we had our wedding/honeyman in England/Scotland (posts about that here and here). We’re both total Anglophiles (he’s still a British citizen, actually) and we love to recreate British pub classics at home. Recently we decided to go for an especially unique one—Lasagne (that’s how they spell it), Chips & Mushy Peas.

It’s understandably weird to Americans—Italian food and French fries—but that’s just how it’s done in the UK, and I don’t hate it. Everything there, especially when you’re ordering food from a pub, comes with chips.

We went for a classic lasagne with mozzarella + ricotta cheeses, mushrooms, onions and garlic with marinara sauce. The mushy peas recipe came straight from Tesco Magazine (see page 71). The chips, however, are something a little more special, as Ed made them like his Grammy Walker (she lives in the cutest little English town called Chaddesley Corbett) makes them—boiled, chilled for a few hours, then baked to a golden brown. They’re seriously the best.

INGREDIENTS

Two potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 bag of frozen peas
Juice of one lemon
Zest of half of a lemon
Fresh mint
4 T. olive oil + extra
No-cook lasagna noodles
1 jar of marinara sauce
Low-fat mozzarella cheese
Low-fat ricotta cheese
1 yellow onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
1/4 t. dried oregano + extra for topping
1/4 t. red pepper flakes + extra for topping
Olive oil cooking spray
Salt & pepper, to taste

STEPS

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes to the pot and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then place in the refrigerator and chill for at least four hours.

2) Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic and season with salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.

3) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread a bit of marinara sauce into the bottom of a loaf pan. Add a lasagna noodle (use two or break one into pieces if one noodle doesn’t cover the whole bottom). Top with a spoonful of sauce, dollops of ricotta, the mushroom mix and some sprinkled mozzarella cheese. Repeat the process until you’ve filled the loaf pan. Your final layer should be lasagna noodles covered in sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese only. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil, sprinkle with more oregano and red pepper flakes, and bake for another 15 minutes. When the lasagna is done, turn the heat on the oven up to 500 degrees.

4) While the lasagna is baking, prepare the mushy peas. Cook the frozen peas according to package directions. Drain off any excess water, then add to a blender or food processor and purée until nearly smooth (I personally like my mushy peas to retain a few chunks).

5) Add the 4 T. olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest to a saucepan over low heat. Allow to infuse for five minutes.

6) Use a spatula to scrape the peas into a bowl, and pour the olive oil/lemon mixture into the bowl as well. Stir well to combine. Gather 4-5 mint leaves and cut into fine pieces. Add the mint leaves to the peas and add a pinch of salt + fresh cracked black pepper. Stir well to combine, and allow to sit while the chips are baking so the flavors will meld together.

7) Spray the chips with olive oil spray, season with salt and pepper and bake at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. The end result should be something that’s crispy on the outside but mashed potato-y on the inside.

8) Everything should be ready now. Plate and serve! I personally love to dip my chips in the mushy peas, FYI.