This is a white lasagna, which means tomatoes are not called for. What is important for this recipe is the besciamella sauce (béchamel), the “secret to Italian lasagnas,” as Ania calls it. As a disclaimer, this is just one recipe for a white lasagna. Each region of Italy has their own version. This one comes from Le Marche. It serves about six people.
Ingredients
6-7.5 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. sausage
1 pkg. thinly-sliced ham (around 7 oz.)
Ingredients
6-7.5 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. sausage
1 pkg. thinly-sliced ham (around 7 oz.)
lasagna noodles (about 2 packages)
1/3 cup flour
6 tbsp butter
6 1/3 cup milk
1 tsp nutmeg
oil (olive, preferably)
3 cloves garlic, halved
grated parmesan cheese (as much as you want!)
a few springs of parsley, chopped
1/3 cup flour
6 tbsp butter
6 1/3 cup milk
1 tsp nutmeg
oil (olive, preferably)
3 cloves garlic, halved
grated parmesan cheese (as much as you want!)
a few springs of parsley, chopped
salt
1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash mushrooms in cold water, peel, rinse, slice.
3. Cover the bottom of a medium-sized pan with oil, add the halved garlic cloves and turn on heat.
4. Put the mushrooms into the pan, adding more oil on top.
5. When the mushrooms are browned, add the sausage.
Besciamella
6. In another pan, melt the butter and add the nutmeg.
7. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the flour, stirring constantly. Return to heat and bring to a boil.
*Note: you may want to add another tablespoon of flour to thicken the sauce a bit more.
8. In a third pan, warm up the milk (not to a boil) and then add it to the butter mixture, along with 1/2 tsp of salt.
9. Combine the meat/mushroom mixture and the besciamella. Add the parsley and a pinch of salt.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Bring a pot of water to boil, then put each piece of lasagna pasta in the water for about one minute (if it’s fresh, a minute or two longer if not), until softened.
12. Grease your pan with butter.
13. In the pan, layer the pasta, the besciamella/mushroom mixture, the ham, and the grated cheese.
14. Put in oven for 45 minutes.
1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash mushrooms in cold water, peel, rinse, slice.
3. Cover the bottom of a medium-sized pan with oil, add the halved garlic cloves and turn on heat.
4. Put the mushrooms into the pan, adding more oil on top.
5. When the mushrooms are browned, add the sausage.
Besciamella
6. In another pan, melt the butter and add the nutmeg.
7. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the flour, stirring constantly. Return to heat and bring to a boil.
*Note: you may want to add another tablespoon of flour to thicken the sauce a bit more.
8. In a third pan, warm up the milk (not to a boil) and then add it to the butter mixture, along with 1/2 tsp of salt.
9. Combine the meat/mushroom mixture and the besciamella. Add the parsley and a pinch of salt.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Bring a pot of water to boil, then put each piece of lasagna pasta in the water for about one minute (if it’s fresh, a minute or two longer if not), until softened.
12. Grease your pan with butter.
13. In the pan, layer the pasta, the besciamella/mushroom mixture, the ham, and the grated cheese.
14. Put in oven for 45 minutes.
This picture shows the warming milk in the upper left, the boiling butter in the upper right, and the mushroom/sausage mixture in the bottom right.
This picture shows the besciamella mixed with the mushroom/sausage mixture. It's ready to go in the pan!
The assembly line: pasta, sauce, ham, cheese. And repeat until you reach your desired height.
Ta-da!
Buon appetito! Our chef, Ania, with her masterpiece.
