Mushroom Pesto Lasagna
I have been asked for vegetarian lasagne recipes, so I am sharing one of my favorite recipes that always gets rave reviews. If necessary, you could substitute dried lasagna noodles, but the finished result would not be as impressive. Besides, making fresh egg pasta is much easier than you would imagine!
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Mushroom Pesto Lasagna
Yield:
Serves 8
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
50 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 15 minutes
Mushrooms and pesto sauce are layered between sheets of egg noodles and béchamel sauce in this unique lasagna.
Ingredients
- Fresh Lasagne Noodles For A 10 by 14 Inch Lasagna Pan
- 500 Grams (1 Pound) Fresh Porcini or Portabello Mushrooms, Coarsely Chopped
- 2 Ounces Dried Porcini Mushrooms
- 3/4 Cup Fresh Basil Pesto (Recipe Below or Store Bought
- 3/4 Cup Grated Pecorino Or Parmesan Cheese
- 1/3 Cup Pine Nuts
- 1 Recipe Béchamel Sauce
Pesto Sauce:
- 3 Cups Loosely Packed Fresh Basil
- 3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts, Lightly Toasted In The Oven
- 2 Cloves of Garlic
- 3/4 Cup Extra-virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
- Place basil, nuts, garlic and salt in the food processor, and process 1 minute.
- Slowly start pouring in the olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.
- Add the cheese, and mix well. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups of pesto.)
- To make the lasagna, hydrate the dried porcini in 1 cup of warm water for thirty minutes, then drain and coarsely chop.
- Prepare the béchamel sauce as directed.
- Saute the mushrooms together in a little oil and butter until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Mix a little pesto with some hot pasta water and spread along the bottom of the buttered lasagna dish.
- Place one layer of noodles, and then sprinkle over those noodles some of the mushroom mixture.
- Spread a little of the béchamel on top of the mushrooms.
- Add another layer of noodles, and then spread a thin layer of the pesto sauce on top.
- Sprinkle with some of the grated cheese.
- Continue to layer in this manner until all the ingredients are used up.
- On top, sprinkle a little béchamel, pesto, cheese and pine nuts.
- Bake at 375 degrees 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top.
- Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.
Tender mounds of lasagne noodles (hopefully made with new red pasta roller) with mushrooms….oh my goodness…thank you for this website.
Can the Mushroom Pesto Lasagna be assembled the night before and heated for diner the day after.
Yes, I often assemble my lasagna dishes the day before. Just bring it out of the fridge and let it return to room temperature before you bake it.