Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Mushroom Lasagna





 You won't find tomato sauce or ricotta or mozzarella in this lasagna. What you will find are fontina cheese, bechamel, porcini and baby bella mushrooms. Don't get me wrong -- I love the traditional Italian-American classic as much as anyone, but I also love different versions too like butternut squash lasagna or mushroom lasagna. 





Start with soaking the dried porcini in water and slicing the baby bellas. 
















Sprinkle some grated parmesan over the fontina.







Repeat a couple of times, ending with a layer of pasta. Spread with bechamel and sprinkle with parmesan. 




Bake at 350 degrees, covered, then increase the temperature to 425 degrees and bake another 15 minutes until browned on top.












Mushroom Lasagna





printable recipe here





6 portions, depending on appetites





1 large shallot (or two smaller ones)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in water for 1/2 hour, then drained

16 oz. baby bella mushrooms (small portabella mushrooms), sliced

2. T. butter for sauteeing the mushrooms

salt, pepper

a few sprigs of fresh thyme (about 3 T. minced)

1 cup grated fontina cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 package of fresh lasagna sheets (like an 8.8 oz. package of Rana brand), soaked in hot water for about 5 minutes (or use fresh, home-made lasagna if you're ambitious.)



@ 2 cups bechamel sauce



bechamel sauce

4 T. butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

salt, pepper

a few grindings of fresh nutmeg



Place the olive oil and butter in a pan and add the minced shallot. Let it soften then add the garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes then remove from pan. Place the 2 T. butter into a large pan and add the baby bella mushrooms. Cook on high heat. A lot of water will be released. Keep cooking until the water is evaporated, then lower the heat, and add the porcini mushrooms, along with the cooked shallot and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.



Make the bechamel sauce in a separate pot by melting the butter, then adding the flour and letting it cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time, adding more if necessary, or stopping when it's thick enough. It should be no thicker than the consistency of a very loose pudding, since it thickens more when it cools. Add 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, which will also thicken it more.



Meanwhile, soak the packaged fresh lasagna noodles in hot water for five minutes. Drain and pat dry.



Assemble the lasagna by spreading a bit of the bechamel on the bottom of the casserole. Place a sheet of pasta over the sauce, then cover with cooked mushrooms, some of the fontina and some of the parmesan. Dab some bechamel over this, then cover with another sheet of pasta. Do this two more times and finish with a layer of pasta. You should have four layers of pasta when you're done. There will be two sheets leftover in the package - use them for another recipe.  Then spread the final layer of pasta with bechamel sauce and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 1/2 hour. At the end of 1/2 hour, remove the foil, then increase the temperature to 425 and bake another 15 minutes.



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30 comments:

  1. Mmmhhh, ever so scrumptious looking! Those lasagne must be really enjoyable.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. Wow Linda, this looks so yummy! How did you know I was dreaming about lasagna? I love non traditional lasagnas like this, and your butternut squash version is to die for especially with the fresh pasta!
    I soak the no boil stuff too.

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  3. I don't think we would miss the tomato sauce or meat in this delicious meal Linda!

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  4. The photos are giving me warmth. I can only imagine what the real deal would do! There's something about those earthy mushrooms in the dead of winter to wake up body and soul!

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  5. Oh my! Would you let me throw some sausage in this for Henry? This looks decadent! I haven't had lasagne all winter.......yum.

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  6. What a fabulously decadent dish this is!! I will be trying this one on the weekend...with a side salad...thanks Linda!

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  7. This looks like delicious creamy good comfort food, Linda. It is what I am craving right now. The Rana brand pasta sheet noodles look very convenient. I don't think I've seen them in my area.

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  8. Linda,
    what I like about your blog is not only your super good recipes, but your photos, the table clothes, the silverware, the plates, the cups, the light that you use. You are one classy Italian woman. :)

    Rita

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  9. Gosh - Thank you Rita and to everyone else who left such lovely comments.

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  10. Oh my, with the cheese oozing out my heart is really beating! I love mushrooms and went wild with them sauteed yesterday. I can't wait to make this.

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  11. Love that recipe! It has been a tried and true favorite in our family for a few years. My family requests it for special occasions.

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  12. I recently tried making my own pasta - fresh pasta is delicious. I will be making this lasagna!

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  13. Ottima questa lasagna con i funghi. Un abbraccio Daniela.

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  14. Even the more traditional 'meaty' lasagna never looks this rich and comforting!
    Your luscious photos reveals this to perfection.

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  15. delicious!!

    I really love lasagna made with bechamel sause.

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  16. This looks perfect! We're on South Beach/phase 2, but we take one meal off a week--usually Friday night. I'm thinking this lasagna!! Thanks.

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  17. wow..sounds scrumptiously tasty
    new to your space..awesome space you have..
    excellent posts with stunning cliks..
    Am your happy follower now.;)
    do stop by mine sometime..
    Tasty Appetite

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  18. Looks so good! I love white sauce lasagnas and the mushrooms make it even better.

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  19. Linda this is a gorgeous lasagna...I love those fresh pasta sheets...they are fabulous. I am craving a bite of yours right now!

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  20. I love lasagne bianche and mushrooms are one of my favorites.

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  21. Linda, this is wonderful! I've made seafood lasagna and vegetarian lasagna along with regular lasagna but never mushroom! The flavour must be so delicous with the combination of dried and fresh mushrooms!

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  22. One of my favourite vegetables and a fine meat substitute...mushrooms! Love this simple but satisfrying lasagna.

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  23. This really looks good - I've been looking for a no-meat lasagne recipe. One question: Can't find a pan size in your recipe? Is looks like a square pan in the photos, but is it 9x13 in to fit the noodles? Thanks!

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  24. Maureen - The pyrex dish is 9 x 7 x 2.5. It was the exact same size as the pasta sheets. But you can improvise and make a "patchwork" of pasta sheets if your pan is larger.

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  25. Oh my... seeing the photos of the layers being built and the final baked lasagna was wonderful. A very appetizing entree!

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  26. WOW!Linda - pure genius. That looks fantastic, and congrats on making Kathy's list. We are in fine company, wouldn't you say?

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  27. I love white lasagnas and yours look amazing. Never made it with just mushrooms, but you better believe I will.

    On another note, again, so sorry for the postponement. I had a kidney 'thing', and by the 27th, I was still in pretty bad shape, so even though I had made the biscuits a week prior, it took everything I had just to write about them on the 28th! No way could I get back into the mode I needed to be in to write part two. Much better now, so 'coming very very soon' :)

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  28. Mushroom lasagna is so good and yours looks amazing!

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  29. Just made tonight and it is a winner. wonderful mushroom flavor. Hope there's some left for tomorrow! thank you!!

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  30. Now that looks delicious.
    Love the finished photo with the single thyme sprig.
    LL

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