Broccoli Rabe & Italian Sausage Lasagna

Step 1

Blanch broccoli rabe: Prepare an ice bath for broccoli rabe in a medium bowl. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook broccoli rabe until bright green and wilted, 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath to chill. When broccoli rabe is cool enough to handle, squeeze out water, then roughly chop. Transfer to a medium bowl, add lemon zest, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Toss well to combine.

Step 2

Prepare pork: add fennel seeds, garlic, brown sugar, vinegar, paprika, and red pepper flakes to a large bowl, and stir to combine. Add pork to bowl, and use your hands to mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Step 3

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add pork and use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up meat into small pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is golden in parts and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and take off heat. Preheat oven to 375°.

Step 4

Make mornay: in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk until completely combined, then cook, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to smell nutty and turn slightly darker in color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring up to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until sauce thickens to the consistency of wet paint, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and nutmeg, if using, and stir in parmesan until melted.

Step 5

Assemble lasagna: grease an 8”-x-8” baking dish with olive oil. Add ¼ cup mornay to bottom of dish and spread into an even layer. Top with 2 noodles, placed side by side. Add ½ cup mornay to noodles and spread in an even layer. Top with ⅓ of the pork, and ⅓ of the broccoli rabe. Repeat this process twice more, alternating noodle direction in each layer. Finish by adding the final two noodles, spreading with the remaining sauce, and grating a light layer of parmesan on top. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden and noodles are tender. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into.