Why it works: Mushroom and parmesan cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and 1,199 recipes mention both. Both carry methyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells apple, fatty. The science ↓
The recipe
(1 serving)Ingredients
Contains: egg, milk, wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the zucchini slices, red pepper strips and mushrooms with the olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes until just tender.
Meanwhile, boil the lasagna noodles in a pan of boiling water as directed until tender, then drain and lay them flat.
Lower the oven to 375°F (190°C). Mix the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
In a small oven-safe dish, layer a spoonful of marinara, a noodle, half the ricotta mixture, half the roasted vegetables and a little mozzarella. Repeat once more, ending with a noodle, marinara and the remaining mozzarella on top.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling and the centre reaches 160°F (71°C) because of the raw egg in the filling. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Mushroom + parmesan cheesetop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together1,199 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Olive + parmesan cheesetop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together4,076 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
-
Mushroom + olivetop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together4,057 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Ricotta cheese + parmesan cheesetop 5% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together449 recipes
Shared aroma: myrcene (balsamic, herbaceous).
-
Olive + ricotta cheesetop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together595 recipes
Shared aroma: myrcene (balsamic, herbaceous).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
The Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.