This Wild Mushroom Lasagna recipe makes wonderful alternative to the traditional meat lasagna. Though not a traditional British recipe, it is popular during the fall when fresh wild mushrooms are plentiful.
The fresh lasagna is not pre-cooked in this recipe as the juice given off from the mushrooms during cooking.
The fresh lasagna is not pre-cooked in this recipe as the juice given off from the mushrooms during cooking.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 stick celery, finely chopped
- 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried
- 1 ¾ pints/1 liter milk
- 2 ¼ oz/75g all purpose/plain flour
- ¾ stick/75g butter
- salt and ground pepper
- 5 ½ oz/150g Parmesan sliced very thinly
- 1 lb 2 oz/500g mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned
- 5 ½ oz/150g white mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 15 sheets fresh lasagna or use dried pasta that does not require pre-cooking,
- 1 oz/25g finely grated Parmesan
- 3 tbsp butter
Preparation:
- Heat the oven to 375°F /190°C/gas5.
- Place the finely chopped vegetables, bay-leaves and milk in a saucepan, bring to the boil then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain the milk from the vegetables and return the milk to a low heat and simmer very gently.
- Meanwhile in a large saucepan, melt the butter without browning and stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Pour the hot milk into the butter flour paste in a steady stream stirring all the time. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce should have a thick pouring consistency, if too thick add a little more hot milk.
- Smear the inside of 7"square lasagna dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Pour a small amount of the sauce onto the bottom and cover with 1 layer of pasta, fitting snugly into the corners, followed by a layer of mushrooms and a layer of Parmesan shavings.
- Repeat the layers - sauce, pasta, mushrooms, and Parmesan slices as you have ingredients for, finishing with a layer of sauce. Cover the surface with grated Parmesan and dot with butter.
- Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until bubbling then remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly for 5 minutes before serving.
