Chef notes
Velvety béchamel sauce makes this cheesy lasagna even more comforting, creamy and delicious. Sautéed mushrooms, fresh herbs and robiola cheese all add an earthy flavor, making this the perfect dish for a cool fall night.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream, heated just until steaming
- 2 cups whole milk, heated just until steaming
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds fresh robiola cheese, diced, divided
- 2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 pound lasagna noodles
Preparation
For the béchamel sauce:
1.In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking occasionally, 2-3 minutes.
2.Continue whisking constantly, slowly add half of the hot cream and half of the hot milk to saucepan.
3.Pour the remaining hot milk into the saucepan, in small increments, whisking mixture constantly, until a smooth paste forms.
4.Whisk remaining cream into the mixture, then add nutmeg and salt. Cook mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape bottom and sides, until sauce is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. If any lumps form, stir sauce rapidly with a whisk. Season with pepper, taste; remove from heat.
For the lasagna:
1.Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil with the thyme and rosemary over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2.Mix half of the robiola cheese with 1 cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, 2 cups of béchamel sauce and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add the eggs and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the pasta until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain and shock pasta sheets in cold water.
4.Preheat the oven to 350 F.
5.Spread a small ladle of plain béchamel sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan to cover. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the cheese and mushroom mix over the pasta. Add more béchamel sauce and sprinkle with more robiola cheese and Parmesan. Repeat the layers of sauce, mushroom, pasta and cheese, two more times.
6.Spread the remaining cup of béchamel sauce over the top layer of the pasta and sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the final layer of sauce.
7.Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden. Let rest for 30 minutes before cutting the lasagna.
