Lasagna never fails to please, but its preparation — and storage of leftovers — can be a hassle.

But portioning the layered dish into individual servings before cooking and steaming it on the stovetop? Now you're talking. Suddenly lasagna is both quick and easy.

This craveable recipe, a variation on what's been making the rounds on social media over the past few months, features all the great flavors you find in an Asian-style soup dumpling: juicy pork seasoned with garlic, green onion and chopped cabbage, a savory mix of soy and oyster sauces, Shaoxing wine and toasted sesame oil.

But you can skip the tedious work of wrapping wonton after wonton around scoops of filling to make 20 or 30 small packages you can fry or boil. For this dish, you layer the meat and wrappers like a parfait or seven-layer dip in ramekins (or small soup cups or bowls).

After topping off the mini-lasagnas with a little water or broth, the ramekins are steamed on the stove top until the wonton wrappers are soft and wonderfully tender and the pork is fragrant and cooked through.

There is a catch: You have to have a large and wide enough soup pot to comfortably fit four ramekins, and it has to have a lid. Otherwise, you'll need to do the cooking in batches.

I used ground pork (because its fat makes it juicy) and chopped green cabbage in the filling, but you also could use ground chicken or shrimp — or make it completely vegetarian with tofu. Or, punch up the flavor with the addition of mushrooms or carrots.

Definitely don't forget a generous spoonful of chili crisp or swirl of spicy chili oil before taking that first awesome bite. The deep umami flavor of the condiments will add a rich, textural finish that makes the dish irresistible.

Wonton wrappers are usually tucked among the vegetables in your grocery's refrigerated produce aisle.

Shaoxing wine is a nutty amber-colored cooking wine that adds complexity and depth of flavor to many Chinese dishes (it's a staple in Chinese cooking). If you can't find it, substitute dry cooking sherry or a dash of mirin, a Japanese sweet rice wine.

The lasagnas reheat well the next day in the microwave.

Dumpling Lasagna

PG tested

For ground pork mixture

3/4 pound ground pork

1/2 cup chopped or finely shredded napa or green cabbage

2 thinly sliced green onions, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or mirin

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1-inch knob fresh ginger, grated or minced

For soup

1 package wonton wrappers

Water or broth, for filling ramekins

Chili oil or chili crisp, for garnish

Prepare the dumpling filling. In a large bowl, combine ground pork, chopped cabbage, green onions, Shaoxing wine or mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, minced garlic and ginger. Use your hands or a fork to mix everything together until well combined.

In small soup bowl or 6-ounce ramekin, add a layer of ground pork mixture, then a dumpling wrapper, pressing down gently with your fingers.

Continue with another layer of filling and then a wonton wrapper, pressing gently as you go. Add 1 more layer of pork filling, until the ramekin is nearly full. (There should be three layers of pork.)

Add 1/3 cup of water or vegetable/chicken stock, then top off with another layer of wonton wrap. Press the dumpling wrapper down gently with fingers so it is submerged in the liquid.

Repeat with 3 more ramekins/soup bowls.

Place ramekins in a large pot and add water halfway up the sides. Cover with a lid and boil and steam for 20 minutes, or until the pork is fully cooked and the wonton wrappers are soft and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife or pressed with your finger. Note: If all the ramekins don't fit in the pot at the same time, you will have to cook the lasagnas in batches.

Carefully remove ramekins/bowls from the steamer using tongs, place on a plate and finish with a drizzle of chili oil or generous spoonful of chili crisp. Top with sliced green onions, and serve warm straight from the ramekin.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

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