Lasagna with Spinach, Spring Onions and Mortadella
Ingredients
For the béchamel:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- Salt, to taste
- Nutmeg, to taste
- 1/4 pound Taleggio cheese, trimmed of rind or cow’s milk Robiola or Bel Paese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 cup fresh cow’s milk ricotta cheese
For the lasagna:
- 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 spring onions, whites and light greens, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound fresh spinach with medium-size leaves (bundles, not boxes or bags), stemmed
- Black pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Butter, for greasing baking dish
- 1 box no-boil flat lasagna sheets
- 1/2 pound mortadella, halved and cut into 1-inch strips (I use Dickson’s)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Make béchamel sauce: Melt butter in a saucepot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, bring roux to a bubble then whisk in milk. Let thicken 2-3 minutes; season with salt. Melt in pieces of Taleggio until fully incorporated then stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add the ricotta a little at a time. Once fully incorporated, stir in chili flakes and remove from heat; let cool.
Butter a square or rectangular baking or casserole dish and lay in lasagna sheets to cover.
Layer sauce, spinach, mortadella and pasta in 3 layers for a rectangular dish or 4 for a square dish. Top with final layer of white sauce and a drizzle of EVOO. Bake to brown and bubbly about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
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Pasta alla Carbonara with Spring Onions and Lemon