Recipe: mapo tofu lasagne

(the dou bolognese of your dreams)

silky tofu instead of béchamel. chili oil instead of soffritto. mama liang meets nonna.

inspired by @couldeattbh

ingredients

mapo layer (your “ragù”)

• 1 lb ground pork (or turkey / mushrooms if you’re plant-coded)

• 2–3 tbsp dou chili snack oil

• 2 tbsp dou sriracha (optional but peak synergy)

• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp ginger, minced

• 2 tbsp dou hot bean sauce (doubanjiang, you already know)

• 1–2 tbsp fermented black beans, crushed (optional but god-tier)

• 1–2 cups stock (chicken or veg)

• 1 block soft tofu, cut into small cubes

• 1–2 tsp cornstarch slurry (just enough to thicken)

• 2 scallions, sliced

• salt + white pepper to taste

• optional: a tsp of numbing peppercorn for the zing

lasagne assembly

• no-boil lasagne sheets (don’t be a hero)

• 1–1.5 cups shredded mozzarella

• ½ cup parmesan

• extra scallions + sesame seeds for the top

• extra snack oil for drizzling (mandatory, sorry)

method

1. make the mapo “ragù”

1. sauté pork in neutral oil until starting to brown. season w/ salt + white pepper.

2. add garlic + ginger → cook until fragrant.

3. add doubanjiang + crushed fermented black beans → fry until the oil stains crimson.

4. add snack oil + sriracha → stir. the mixture should look morally questionable.

5. pour in stock → simmer 5–7 min.

6. gently fold in tofu → try not to pulverize it.

7. thicken slightly w/ cornstarch slurry.

8. finish w/ scallions + peppercorn if using.

you want a thick, glossy, chili-flecked sauce that clings like a clingy situationship.

2. assemble the lasagne

in a baking dish:

1. smear a thin layer of mapo sauce (to prevent sticking).

2. add pasta sheets.

3. ladle mapo sauce generously.

4. sprinkle mozzarella + a little parm.

5. repeat until you run out of patience or ingredients.

6. top layer = mapo → mozz → parm → drizzle of snack oil.

3. bake

• 375°F for ~35–45 min

• broil 2 min at the end for crispy edges and that slightly scorched doubianjiang aesthetic.

let it rest 10–15 min so the layers stop behaving like magma.

4. finish

shower w/ scallions, sesame seeds, and a final whisper of snack oil.

serve w/ a side of existential reflection.

tastes like

if lasagne and mapo tofu eloped after a night of poor decisions and great chemistry.