This recipe goes out to producer Jenn. She’s a busy bee commercial producer who in all the years we’ve been working together has never asked for a recipe until she tried our white lasagna last week. Enjoy my love!
Ingredients
Oil or butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 zucchini, sliced
fresh spinach ( optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Parmesan
15 ounces fresh ricotta ( my sister uses cottage cheese)
2 – 3 cups grated mozzarella ( fresh motz is also delicious)
1 pound lasagna noodles – uncooked
Cook the vegetables
In a large skillet, heat some fat ( about a TBS) over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, and crank up the heat, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and have given off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Set aside, and in the same pan give the zucchini a good sear. Combine the vegetables, including the fresh spinach if you like that, and lightly season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make the bechamel sauce (see recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Assemble the lasagna
Across the bottom of a deep dish lasagna pan (13 by 9-inches), spoon enough bechamel sauce to cover (about 1/2 cup). Then add 1/4 of the vegetable mixture. Arrange a layer of noodles side-by-side across the sauce. Spread another layer of bechamel over the noodles and top with the vegetables. Add each of the cheeses evenly over the noodles, not worrying too much about it. Repeat layering with sauce, noodles and vegetables until you use it all up, ending with noodles on top. Coat the top layer with remaining sauce and a light sprinkling of parmesan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until the noodles are tender and the lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes to and hour and 15 minutes. (stick a knife in the middle and make sure the noodles are soft – then it’s done!) Uncover and continue baking until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.
Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the cheese sets up. Serve hot.
Delicious Bechamel
Ingredients
5 tablespoons olive oil or butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 – 6 cups organic 2% milk (or whole)
salt and pepper to taste
minced garlic
Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the fat over medium-low heat and add the garlic , cook a minute till fragrant, but not browned ( unless you like that) Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Add the milk to the fat mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside until ready to use. If it’s too thick add more milk. Consistency should be the same as a nice marinara.
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