Props and styling by Goldie Stern
Photography by Felicia Perretti
I’ve always had this misconception that phyllo dough was hard to work with, until I actually tried it! Using cooking spray to moisten the layers rather than brushing on melted butter or margarine really simplifies the prep, and nothing else beats the crispy tenderness of this dough. When using it in this meat “lasagna” dish in place of pasta, it really comes together nicely, enhancing the sweet and tangy flavor of the delectable sauce.
SERVES 10–12
To make the sauce: Heat oil in a large frying pan and add the onion. Sauté until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Add diced celery and sauté until slightly softened, about an additional 10 minutes. Add ground beef to pan and cook, just until no longer pink, about 10–15 minutes. Stir meat every couple of minutes, making sure to break up any lumps with a fork. When the meat is cooked through, drain juices out of the frying pan and add the remaining sauce ingredients, stirring well to combine. Set aside to cool.
Remove dough from package and unroll. There are approximately 25–28 13×17-inch (33×43-cm) sheets in a 16-oz package of extra-fine phyllo dough. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough in half vertically, slicing through all of the dough layers at once, so you have two piles of 13×8.5-inch (33×22-cm) pieces. You may need to trim the 13-inch side down to about 12 inches to fit a 9×13-inch aluminum pan. Reroll one of the piles and place the extra sheets back in the freezer for another use.
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