Special Mushroom Lasagna Food

MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup and pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Then rinse the mushrooms, away from the bowl with the soaking liquid, until they are free of sand. Squeeze dry and set aside. Chop coarsely. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the shallots or onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and to sweat, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, 5 to 10 minutes. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.
• Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw-flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Strain while hot into the pan with the mushrooms.
• Assemble the lasagna. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil or butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add 3 or 4 lasagna noodles, just the number you need for one layer. Cook only until flexible, and using tongs or a skimmer, remove from the pan and set on a kitchen towel to drain. Spoon a thin layer of béchamel and mushrooms over the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread a ladleful of the mushroom/béchamel mixture over the noodles and top with a layer of Parmesan. Cook the next layer of noodles and continue to repeat the layers (I get three layers in my pan), ending with a layer of the mushroom/béchamel mixture topped with Parmesan. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and if you want the edges of the noodles crispy and the top lightly browned, continue to bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

SPECIAL MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion; saute until tender. Add wine, four minced garlic cloves and minced onion; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter. Stir in next five ingredients and remaining garlic until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Stir in next six ingredients until blended. Remove from heat., Preheat oven to 350°. Drain lasagna noodles. Spread 1 cup cream cheese sauce in a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Layer with three noodles, 1 cup sauce, a third of the mushroom mixture and 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, adding crabmeat, if desired, between mushrooms and Parmesan. Layer with three more noodles, 1 cup sauce, remaining mushroom mixture and remaining Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce., For crumb topping, pulse baguette, cheese and butter in a food processor until finely chopped. Stir in chives. Sprinkle over lasagna. Bake, covered, about 50 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly, 5-10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

WILD MUSHROOM LASAGNE

Steps:

• Make filling:
• In a small saucepan bring water to a boil and remove pan from heat. Stir in porcini. Soak porcini 20 minutes. Lift out porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. In a sieve rinse porcini to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcini and transfer to a large bowl. Simmer reserved soaking liquid until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Pour liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into bowl with porcini.
• Quarter white mushrooms and in a food processor pulse in 3 batches until finely chopped. Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch dice. Chop onion and mince garlic. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook one third white mushrooms with 2 tablespoons Sherry, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and they begin to brown. Add mushroom mixture to porcini. Cook remaining mushrooms in 2 batches in butter with remaining Sherry in same manner and add to porcini mixture. In skillet cook zucchini in 1 tablespoon butter until tender and stir into porcini mixture. In skillet cook onion in remaining tablespoon butter, stirring, until softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir onion into mushroom mixture until combined. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Make sauce:
• In a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, mustard, and salt. Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before proceeding.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter a 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish.
• Assemble lasagne:
• Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in baking dish and cover with 3 pasta sheets, making sure they don't touch each other. Spread one third filling over pasta sheets in dish and top with 3 more pasta sheets, gently pressing down layers to remove air pockets. Top pasta sheets with one third mozzarella. Continue layering in same manner with sauce, pasta sheets, filling, and mozzarella, ending with mozzarella (dish will be filled to rim). Spread remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan. On a foil-lined large baking sheet bake lasagne in middle of oven until bubbling and golden, about 45 minutes. Let lasagne stand 20 minutes. Lasagne may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lasagne to room temperature and reheat before serving.

HANDCRAFTED MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the pasta: Place the flour and semolina the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt and egg yolk. Mix the flour and semolina for 1 minute, then pour in the egg mixture and mix for another minute. Add 3/4 cup warm water. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the pasta dough comes together. Remove the dough from the mixer and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes. Using a pasta roller, roll the dough into thin sheets, according to the pasta machine directions, and cut the sheets into approximate 2-by-4-inch rectangles
• Dust the pasta squares lightly with semolina and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days
• For the fresh ricotta: Place the milk, vinegar and salt into a large, thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to 185 degrees F, stirring occasionally.
• Without stirring, let simmer for 20 minutes. Set a strainer over a large non-reactive bowl or container and line a strainer with cheesecloth. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and gently ladle into the strainer. Let drain for 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Will keep for up to one week. When ready to use the ricotta, be sure to reserve the whey water.
• For the mushrooms: Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and onions. Saute the onions until translucent, and then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, and then add the mushrooms and some salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms until golden. Add the white wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the stock, Swiss chard and butter. Taste and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep the mushrooms warm.
• To serve: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta squares. Cook the pasta to just al dente and add immediately to the hot mushroom mixture. Toss to coat. Taste and add lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.
• On each plate, create a mound of overlapping pasta and mushrooms, top with a dollop of fresh ricotta and garnish with a fresh bay leaf.

MEATY MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 8 minutes (do not allow the mixture to boil). Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheeses and nutmeg. Stir until the cheeses have melted and the sauce is smooth. Add the prosciutto, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
• Filling: In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring frequently until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, rosemary and thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden and the liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• To assemble the lasagna: Ladle 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lay 3 pasta noodles on top. Spoon 1/2 of the mushroom mixture on top of the pasta. Ladle 1 cup of the sauce over the mushroom mixture and lay 3 more noodles on top. Repeat the layers using the remaining mushroom mixture, 1 cup of sauce and the remaining 3 noodles. Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup smoked mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Cut the lasagna into wedges and serve.

MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook 9 lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• While the noodles are cooking, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add both mushrooms and onion; cook and stir until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add parsley, prosciutto, garlic, and Italian seasoning; cook for 2 minutes longer. Add wine; cook and stir until liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Spread sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer with 3 noodles, 1 1/3 cups sauce, and a scant amount of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with the next 2 layers.
• Combine cream, milk, and remaining mozzarella and Parmesan in a small bowl. Spoon over lasagna.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

A VERY SPECIAL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook lasagne noodles in boiling salted water until"al dente", still firm to the bite.
• Drain and keep them in cold water until ready to use.
• Saute ground beef, onion, and garlic in olive oil until meat is no longer pink.
• Add remaining ingredients and cook at a fast simmer until sauce is quite thick (about 30 to 40 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 400*F.
• For Bechamel, melt butter, add flour and cook, stirring with a whisk, for one minute.
• Slowly add milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil, still using the whisk.
• Taste and add chicken bouillon cube if needed.
• Add salt.
• For Ricotta filling, beat egg in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring well with a fork.
• IN the following order, layer in a lightly greased 13 X 9 inch baking dish; a little meat sauce, half of the noodles, half of the remaining met sauce, 1/2 cup BEchamel, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella, teleme, and ricotta filling; the remaining noodles and meat sauce, 1/2 cup Bechamel, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the remaining Mozzarella, teleme, Ricotta filling, the last of the Bechamel and Parmesan cheeses.
• Dot with butter.
• At this point the dish may be covered and refrigerated.
• Bring to room temperature.
• Bake at 400*F, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
• The dish freezes well.