Cetta Strata brings the best of Italian home cooking and American casseroles... sounds like a heart-warming dish to us! Fatty, crispy pancetta melds with savory mushrooms and fresh spinach before being topped with a layer of creamy cheese and sweet, floral apricot preserves. The result is a cheesy, hearty, meaty bake that has something for everyone. Cetta Strata is a layered meal that can feed everyone at the dinner party with a flavor that's out of the stratosphere.
Ingredients
• 1/3 pound pancetta, finely chopped • 2 tablespoons butter, divided • 1 1/3 cups sweet onion, finely chopped • 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced • 3 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped • 5 cups multigrain bread, cubed • 1/2 cup almonds, optional, sliced • 6 large eggs • 1 cup heavy whipping cream • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 1 (8-ounce) carton mascarpone cheese • 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded • 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, shredded • 1 cup apricot preserves • 3 tablespoons fresh basil, mincedDirections
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
In a large skillet, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the pancetta using a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pan, discarding the rest.
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the drippings and heat over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, cooking until tender, about 4-6 minutes.
Transfer the onion to a large bowl.
Heat the remaining butter in the pan.
Add the mushrooms to the pan, cooking until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the spinach to the mushrooms and cook until wilted, about 30-45 seconds.
Add the bread cubes, the mushroom mixture, the pancetta, and the almonds to the onions, tossing to combine everything.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper until blended.
Beat in the mascarpone cheese into the egg mixture until just blended.
Pour the mascarpone cheese mixture into the baking dish.
Sprinkle the top of the dish with the mozzarella cheese and the Asiago cheese.
Spoon the apricot preserves over the top of the cheese layer.
Cover and refrigerate the dish for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
While the oven heats, transfer the strata from the fridge.
Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes.
Sprinkle the strata with the basil.
Let the strata stand for at least 5 minutes.
Serve.
