Winter White Lasagna Food

WINTER WHITE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375F
• Place a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, about 2 turns of the pan
• Add the sausage to the pan and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until the meat is crumbled and golden brown, about 10 minutes
• Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes
• Season the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reserve
• While the meat is browning up, place a large saucepot over medium heat and melt the butter
• Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook it for about 1 minute
• Whisk in the milk and chicken stock and bring the sauce up to a bubble
• Add in the nutmeg and season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then simmer until the sauce thickens, 3-4 minutes
• Assemble the lasagna by ladling a small amount (about 1/2 cup, just eyeball it) of the sauce into the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish
• Lay three of the lasagna noodles over the sauce and top them with about 1/3 of the meat-mushroom mixture
• Top with about 1 cup of the sauce and about 1 cup of the shredded cheese (about 2 generous handfuls)
• Make two more layers of the lasagna by laying down three lasagna noodles, about 1/3 of the meat-mushroom mixture, 1 cup of the sauce and about 1 cup shredded cheese for each layer
• Top the lasagna off with the last three noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining shredded cheese
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna for 30 minutes
• Remove the foil from the baking dish and bake another 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly

WHITE LASAGNA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, thyme and salt, then stir. Cook until the liquid is released and the mushrooms are browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the Italian seasoning and garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle with the flour, stirring until the flour has coated all the mushrooms. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream and return to a simmer. Add the lasagna sheets and cook until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
• Turn the heat off and ladle into bowls. Garnish with a few dollops of ricotta cheese and a few drizzles of pesto.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the sauce: Put the olive oil and garlic in a medium pot over low heat. Cook the garlic, stirring occasionally at first and more often as it colors, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-low, add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, basil sprig, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt, raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a lively simmer. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until quite thick (if you draw a spoon through the sauce, you'll see the bottom of the pot for a few seconds before the sauce fills back in), about 30 minutes. As the sauce thickens, turn the heat down a bit so the bottom doesn't scorch. Stir in the chopped basil. Let cool to room temperature before assembling the lasagna. (Makes 1 quart.)
• To assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Squeeze the spinach in your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Put it in a large bowl, and stir in the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg.
• Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles across the sauce (they won't touch). Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce on top. Dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (about 1 cup) across the sauce, and use the back of a spoon to spread it (it will smush into the tomato sauce, which is fine). Scatter 1 cup of the mozzarella on top.
• Repeat the layering 2 more times. Top with the last 3 noodles, spread the last 3/4 cup tomato sauce over them and scatter the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray, and cover the baking dish.
• Bake until the noodles are soft and the cheese has melted, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbling and the lasagna is slightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

WINTER GREENS, WALNUT & SAGE LASAGNE

Steps:

• To make the white sauce, put the milk in a saucepan with the bay leaves and quartered leek. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hr.
• Strain the milk into a large jug, discarding the leek and bay. Melt 60g butter in the pan, then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the strained milk, a splash at a time - the mix will thicken at first to a doughy paste, but keep adding the milk gradually to avoid getting lumps. When all the milk is incorporated, bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Bubble for a few minutes until thickened. Season with the nutmeg, mace and some salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and stir in the mozzarella until melted.
• Melt the 1 tbsp butter with the walnut oil in a frying pan over a low heat, then cook the sliced leeks until really soft. Stir in the sage and fry for a further 2 mins. Cook the cabbage in a pan of boiling salted water for 3 mins, then quickly lift out of the pan and into a colander. Cook the kale for 30 seconds in the same pan. Drain, and toss with the cabbage and leeks.
• Butter a deep 2.5-litre baking dish. Spread a quarter of the white sauce into the base of the dish and scatter with a third of the greens, a quarter of the walnuts and 1 tbsp cheese. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat twice more to make three layers, then spread the last of the sauce over the final pasta layer. Scatter with the rest of the hard cheese and chill for at least 30 mins, or up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the lasagne for about 50 mins until golden and bubbling, then scatter over a few more sage leaves and the remaining walnuts. If the lasagne is already golden and crisp, cover tightly. Return to the oven for 10 mins, then leave to rest for 10 mins before serving.

MOM'S WHITE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cook noodles according to package directions for al dente. In a large skillet, cook sausage, celery, onion and garlic over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain., Stir in wine. Bring to a boil; cook 3-4 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream, cream cheese, herbs, pepper and salt; stir until cream cheese is melted. Drain noodles., In a small bowl, combine egg, cheddar and cottage cheese., In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, layer three noodles, half of the sausage mixture, half of the cheddar cheese mixture and half of the mozzarella slices. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles; sprinkle with Gouda cheese., Bake, covered, 40-50 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with additional basil and oregano.,