When I told my niece, Jackie,
that I was invited to have dinner with friends at a local, trendy restaurant,
she suggested I order the Blueberry Lasagna. Although it sounded more
like a dessert than a meal, she revealed that I would be in for a pleasant surprise.
When the lasagna arrived to the table, it was actually a mushroom lasagna with
béchamel sauce, similar to one I have been making for years, that sat on a
small puddle of blueberry sauce. I must admit this was a nice addition
and I wish I would have thought of it myself. Whether you scape the plate
with Blueberry Sauce or not, this Wild Mushroom Lasagna is worth taking the
time to make.
My friend Michael believes I need to write a cookbook
called “Straight From the Freezer,” because I have learned a way to
successfully freeze almost everything. When I say “successfully freeze,”
it means that I can freeze, defrost and serve meals from my freezer that you
would swear were freshly cooked. This lasagna is another one of those
dishes that I prepare in small casserole dishes and keep in the freezer for
last minute meals.
Béchamel Ingredients:
§ 1 stick butter § 1/2 cup flour
§ 4 cups milk
§ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
§ 1/4 cup dry sherry
§ 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
§ Kosher Salt
Mushroom Lasagna Ingredients:
§ 1 Box no-cook lasagna
noodles§ 2 pounds of assorted mushrooms
§ 3 tablespoons olive oil
§ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
§ 1 cup parmesan cheese
§ Fresh Thyme
Directions:
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the Béchamel, begin with a roux. In a large
pot, melt the butter. When butter is melted, add the flour and whisk together
over medium-low heat for a minute or two just to get the raw taste out of the
flour. For this light colored dish, we
do not want to brown the roux.
While whisking, add the milk and continue to
cook until thick and smooth. To speed up the process, I sometimes pour the milk
into a heat resistant cup and warm in the microwave before adding it to the
roux. Once the white sauce is thick and
smooth, lower the heat and add the Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly
grated nutmeg and my secret ingredient, dry sherry. Sherry is another one of
those fortified wines I buy in the local liquor store which is very inexpensive
and will last in the pantry. Remove the
béchamel from the heat and set to the side.
Chop the mushrooms in the food
processor.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a
large sauté pan. Add the chopped mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over
medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms release their juices. Set
the mushrooms aside.
To assemble the
lasagna, spread some of the béchamel sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.
Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more
sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and sprinkle with
fresh Thyme. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms and
Parmesan.
Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the
remaining Parmesan.
Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is
browned the sauce is bubbly and hot.
Allow to sit at room temperature for 15
minutes and serve hot. For a printer friendly copy of this
recipe, go to Mushroom Lasagna.
Enjoy!
