Sandi's lasagna

This recipe is for Sandi and Brandon ~~ Happy Anniversary Week!! 8-)

Lasagna is one of my favorite comfort foods, but since I prefer to make it from scratch (sauce and pasta) I do not make it as often as I would like.  Over the years, I have made both red sauce and white sauce versions, and I enjoy them both.  Definitely my red sauce needs time to cook and for the flavors to mingle (or as Lindy says “to get friendly together”).  As we are in the final days of summer and tomatoes are bountiful and beautiful, making fresh puttanesca sauce is top on my priority list. Mind you - I am not done with summer bounty, but I am definitely a lover of fall, the change of the season and all that it brings.  Typically, I make my first batch right around Labor day holiday weekend and follow that with a large batch of fresh tomato basil soup.  Oh yea.

I love to make lasagna but tend to only do so when fall arrives, the days are shorter, cooler  and I am in need of serious comfort food.  Johne’s favorite Thanksgiving dinner consists of my homemade lasagna and a Caesar salad. While I am a lover of red sauces - my understanding is Sandi favors lasagna with a white sauce so that is the recipe I will be featuring.  The Béchamel sauce that is used for this version is also the same base sauce for my “Heart Attack Mac”, another one of my favorite fall/ winter comfort dishes.  Stay tuned for more recipes!

Some of my favorite ingredients for lasagna include mushrooms (chanterelles, portabello, crimini and button), but I also like to include fresh fall pumpkin, sage from my garden and red pepper (omitted in this recipe for Brandon).  My recent discovery of “Smart Sausage” Italian flavor will definitely be included in the next “batch” of lasagna I make. 

Béchamel Sauce

3 tablespoons of butter

2 – 3 cloves of minced garlic

2 – 3 Tablespoons of flour (I use spelt/ and sift it)

2 cups of milk (recipe called for whole, I use evaporated) heated to steaming temp

½ teaspoon of sea salt

Lasagna filling ingredients

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

6 shallots, peeled, slice thin
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

11/2 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ pound fresh crimini mushrooms, chopped coarsely

2 tablespoons of Marsala wine
2 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped coarsely

1 cup of Bechamel sauce (recipe above)

Sea salt and freshly ground multi colored pepper (to taste)
fresh nutmeg (to taste)
9 lasagna noodles (can make your own or use no-boil noodles)
1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced into matchsticks

1 1/3 cups grated fresh Asiago cheese (or Romano / parmesan blend)

In a heavy medium sized sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat.  Add the garlic in and cook 1 – 2 minutes taking care to not brown.   Whisk in the flour.  Cook, whisking often, taking care to not let the flour get brown, this takes about 4 – 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in steamed milk.  Whisk in the salt and nutmeg. Return the saucepan to medium heat and bring to a low simmer.  Cook, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened; this should take approximately 10 minutes.  There should be no lumps, but if there are, using a strainer, push the sauce through it removing all lumps. This sauce can be used warm or cooled.  If cooling, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface and refrigerate for up to 1 day.  Return to room temperature before using.

Lasagna filling

Melt butter and add olive oil using a 12 inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add in shallots / garlic and lightly saute until color changes.  Add in the chanterelle /crimini mushrooms and continue to saute over med heat for about 1- 2 minutes.  Do not overcook the mushrooms! Add in the Marsala wine, cook for another minute and reduce the wine/liquid. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from heat – pour mixture into glass bowl and set aside.

Lightly coat the lasagna pan with olive oil. Place 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spoon 1/3 of the mushroom mixture evenly over the noodles; cover the mixture with 1/3 of the grated parmesan cheese, Bechamel sauce and 1/3 of the mozzarella sticks.  Repeat this process 2 x’s and on the final layer arrange the sage on top. Garnish with 1/3 cup of Asiago cheese. Grate additional fresh pepper on top.

Cover and bake @ 350 for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil to brown for 15 additional minutes. Remove from oven and let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes and serve hot. If desired - pass grated Asiago when serving.

Most important of all - ENJOY and savor!