Winter Lasagna with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Tarragon
- For the Mushroom Ragù:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ s white button or cremini mushrooms, brushed of all visible dirt and thinly sliced
- One 16-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 4 teaspoons minced tarragon leaves or 2Â teaspoons dried tarragon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- For the White Wine Velouté:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large onion, minced
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups whole or low-fat milk (do not use fat-free)
- 1 cup white wine, preferably a smooth white Burgundy or a fruity Pinot Gris
- For the Casserole:
- Six 12 × 5-inch sheets homemade Whole Wheat
- Pasta, 9 no-boil lasagna noodles, or 12 to 15 dried lasagna noodles, preferably whole wheat noodles
- 12 ounces Emmentaler, Gruyère, or Appenzeller, grated
Instructions:
Here, a rich velouté (a flour-and-butter-thickened stock) is layered with a mushroom ragù and grated cheese.
- To make the mushroom ragù, melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they give off their liquid and it reduces to a glaze, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped spinach, tarragon, and nutmeg. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then set the skillet off the heat. Cover and set aside.
- To make the white wine velouté, place the cut-up 8 tablespoons butter and the onion in a large, cool saucepan and set it over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, stir often so that the onion is coated.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onion is very soft, almost caramelized, and golden, stirring often, about 12 minutes.
- Cover, reduce the heat even further, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Take the lid off the pan and sprinkle the flour evenly over the onion. Whisking constantly, cook just so the flour loses its raw taste and forms a paste with the liquid in the pan, about 20 seconds. Do not brown.
- Whisk in the broth and milk in a slow, steady stream.
- Raise the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the sauce starts to bubble and gets noticeably thicker, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the wine and continue simmering, whisking all the while, until thickened like a heavy cream sauce, about 2 minutes. Set the pan aside off the heat and give the mixture one more good whisking.
- If you’re using fresh pasta: Cook the sheets, as per the directions below. Cook them only a minute or two, just until they’re set. Drain in a colander set in the sink.
- If you’re using dried noodles: Cook them the same way but for about 4 minutes, just until they start to get tender; drain them in a colander set in the sink.
- Assemble the casserole in a 13 × 9-inch baking dish this way: ½ cup white wine velouté, spread across the bottom of the dish; 2 sheets of homemade pasta, 3 no-boil noodles, or 4 to 5 cooked, drained dried lasagna noodles; 2 cups white wine velouté, spread over the noodles with a rubber spatula; half the mushroom ragù, spread gently over the casserole; a third of the grated cheese; 2 more sheets of homemade pasta, 3 no-boil noodles, or 4 to 5 cooked, drained dried noodles; 2 cups white wine velouté; the remaining mushroom ragù; half the remaining grated cheese; the remaining pasta; the rest of the white wine velouté; and finally the rest of the grated cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and set, about 40 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before
- serving.