Roasted Mushroom Lasagna
serves 4-6
Though time-consuming, this rich, autumnal lasagna -- with its layers of rosemary-roasted mushrooms, fontina and parmesan cream sauce -- is certain to please.
Read more about this recipe at the Washington Post.
Vegetables:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as button, cremini, portobello and shiitake
2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 to 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped, plus additional for garnish
Lasagna:
12 to 16 ounces lasagna sheets
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
3/4 cup (3 ounces) freshly grated parmesan, plus more for garnish
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Olive oil for the pan
8 ounces fontina cheese, thinly sliced or grated, plus additional for garnish
prep: 35 minutes
total: 1 hour 15 minutes
3 large rimmed baking sheets
large pot
colander
clean towel
small saucepan
9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish
aluminum foil
wire rack
1. For the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. Trim the stems from the mushrooms and discard or reserve for stock. Slice the caps between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Slice the onions about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Spread the mushrooms on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Do not crowd them.
4. Spread the onions on 1 large rimmed baking sheet. The onions may overlap slightly.
5. Drizzle both the mushrooms and the onions with about 2 tablespoons of the oil, dot with about 2 tablespoons of the butter and season well with salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss to coat. Sprinkle the lemon zest and juice over the onions and toss to coat.
6. Roast the mushrooms and onions, in batches if necessary, until softened and just starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the rosemary.
7. For the noodles and cream sauce: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Working in batches, cook the lasagna sheets, stirring occasionally so they do not stick together, until tender. Carefully transfer the noodles to a colander, rinse with cold water and transfer to a clean towel, laying them flat, to dry.
8. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the cream and parmesan and heat, stirring frequently, until a few bubbles surface. Continue to simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the cheese melts and the sauce is fairly smooth (the sauce will retain a slight graininess because of the cheese). Season with nutmeg, pepper and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
9. To assemble the lasagna, lightly oil a 9-by-13-by-2-inch (or similar size) baking dish. Place 1 layer of the cooked pasta in the dish, overlapping the sheets slightly. Spread 1/3 of the mushrooms evenly over the pasta. Spread 1/3 of the onions evenly over the mushrooms. Spread about 1/3 of the fontina over the onions and season lightly with salt and pepper.
10. Add a second layer of pasta, overlapping the sheets slightly. Top with 1/2 of the remaining mushrooms and 1/2 of the remaining onions. Spoon about 1/3 of the cream sauce over the onions and spread 1/2 of the remaining fontina over the sauce.
11. Add a third layer of pasta, overlapping the sheets slightly. Top with the remaining mushrooms and onions. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining cream sauce over the onions and spread the remaining fontina over the sauce.
12. Top with a fourth layer of pasta, pour the remaining cream sauce over the top, letting it run down the sides a bit, and sprinkle with parmesan and/or fontina cheese to garnish, being sure to cover the pasta along the edge of the dish.
13. Preheat the oven to 425F.
14. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake until warmed through, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the oven temperature. (If heating refrigerated lasagna, allow 20 more minutes.) Remove the foil and bake until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with additional rosemary to garnish.
Adapted from Pasta Improvisata, by Erica De Mane.
