Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Vegetable Lasagna with Béchamel

Step 1

Prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil for the pasta. Rub a deep 13”x9” baking dish thoroughly with about 2 Tbsp butter or coat with cooking spray and set aside.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)

Step 2

Prep the veggies: Melt 1/3 the butter in a Dutch oven, heavy-bottomed pot or large skillet over medium low heat and add the garlic, cooking it until soft and lightly browned. The, cook the mushrooms in batches (1/3 batch at a time) until tender and dry. The key with mushrooms is to not overcrowd the pan (otherwise they will steam) and to not stir them for about two minute or so once they have been added to the pan. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and dry, then add the defrosted and squeezed-dry spinach to the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Remove this mixture from pan and set aside. Strain out any residual liquid after it sits. (Excess liquid will create a soggy lasagna that does not set well.)

Step 3

Wipe the Dutch oven or skillet with a paper towel (or give it a quick rinse), then use it to prepare the béchamel/white sauce: Make a roux by melting butter in the Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted, quickly whisk in the flour to incorporate and continue to stir/whisk for about 2-3 minutes until it develops a frothy, bubbly appearance and the floury taste has been cooked off. Do not let the roux brown. It should remain “blond”.

Step 4

Then, pour in the milk, bay leaves and nutmeg and reduce the heat to medium low. Stick the cloves into the onion and carefully place the onion in the milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and the flour sauce to be cooked off. Stir regularly to prevent lumps, taking care not to burn it.

Step 5

Once the milk is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (see photo above), remove and discard the onion and bay leaves and use a skimmer to remove any lumps. The sauce should be dense and creamy. Turn the heat off and whisk in the Pecorino cheese, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set the pot with the white sauce aside while you cook the pasta.

Step 6

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350℉.

Step 7

Once the water has come to a boil, add salt then the lasagna noodles and a splash of olive oil and cook until 3 minutes less that the package directions. Drain the noodles very well, then lay them flat in a single layer on a sheet pan. Spray them with a bit more oil and set them aside. You will likely have some breakage and this is ok. Keep these pieces as they will come in handy to patch the layers of lasagna.

Step 8

Now that all of the components are ready, it’s time to assemble the lasagna. Gather the greased baking pan, white sauce (give it a stir), cooked lasagna noodles, spinach/mushroom mixture, and the grated fontina and pecorino cheeses. Be sure to strain out and discard any excess liquid that has accumulated in the cooked veggies.)

Step 9

Assemble the lasagna in layers as follows, each component being spread out over the entire surface of the layer below it:• Spread about 1 cup white sauce over the bottom surface;• Then add 4-5 lasagna noodles;• Then about 1 cup white sauce again;• Then about heaping ½ cup spinach/mushroom mixture;• Then about heaping ½ cup grated fontina cheese;• Then a pinch of grated pecorino.

Step 10

Repeat the layering as many times as needed to use all the ingredients, plugging in the broken pieces of lasagna where needed to cover openings. Dot with any remaining butter (about 2-3 Tbsp).

Step 11

Bake the lasagna uncovered for 60 to 70 minutes or until the top is browned a bit and the sauce is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 20 minutes or so before cutting into it and serving to allow it to set. Buon Appetito!