Cilantro Salmon With Smoky Tomato-Habanero Lasagna

Another rickbayless.com recipe posted for safe keeping.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 8

Ingredients

• 3  lbs  ripe tomatoes, preferably plum
• 2 -3  habanero peppers, to taste
• 1  unpeeled head of garlic, broken apart
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1⁄3 cup  good quality olive oil
• 1  bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 8 (5 ounce)  salmon fillets
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1  cup creme fraiche
• 3  eggs
• 1 (9 ounce) box  no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1  cup queso fresco, crumbled
• 1⁄2 cup chicken broth or 1⁄2 cup vegetable broth or 1⁄2 cup water
•  salt

Directions

1. Heat a grill to medium high heat.
2. Lay the tomatoes, habanero chiles, and unpeeled garlic on the grill (you can use a perforated grilling pan or sheets of perforated foil so nothing falls through the grates).
3. Cook turning regularly until everything is soft, blackened and blistered about 8-10 minutes, and then set aside to cool.
4. In a blender or food processor, blend the olive oil with the two cloves of peeled garlic, 2/3 cup of chopped cilantro, and 1 tsp of salt.
5. Smear the mixture over both sides of the salmon.
6. Lay the salmon on the hottest part of the grill, when it is marked, flip it and mark the other side, the salmon should still be rare.
7. Remove the salmon and place on a cooling rack set over a plate.
8. Preheat oven to 375°F.
9. When the grilled vegetables are cooled, peel the tomatoes and garlic and discard the peels.
10. In a blender or food processor blend the tomatoes, garlic, and peppers to a coarse puree, you should have about 4 cups, stir in enough water to bring the mixture up to 6 cups, season with salt to taste.
11. Remove 1 cup of the salsa and set aside.
12. Mix the ricotta, half the creme fraiche, the eggs, and the rest of the chopped cilantro.
13. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with some non-stick spray and spoon about a quarter of the salsa over the bottom.
14. Arrange 4 pasta sheets over the sauce.
15. Spoon another 1/4 of the salsa over the noodles.
16. Spoon 1/2 of the ricotta creme fraiche mixture over the salsa.
17. Make another layer using 4 pasta sheets, another 1/4 of the salsa, and the remaining ricotta mixture.
18. Make a final layer of 4 pasta sheets, the remaining salsa, and all of the shredded cheese.
19. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake until the cheese is browned, about another 10 minutes, then pull out of the oven and cover again and let rest.
20. While the lasagna is resting, simmer the reserved cup of salsa and add enough broth or water to give it a saucy consistency.
21. Reheat the salmon in the oven for about 5-10 minutes depending on how done you like it.
22. Serve the pieces of lasagna topped with the salmon fillets, with small scoops of the remaining creme fraiche on top, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired.