A month in the past I purchased myself a stainless-steel oven tray. Not solely was it the final one within the store, but it surely was additionally the final of a measurement that was quickly to be discontinued. Not that I wanted additional convincing of my want for this splendid, useful tray. It was solely as I carried it residence, with the underside of the service bag bumping towards my ankles, that it crossed my thoughts it may not slot in our oven.
It didn’t. And never by a fraction, both: it was as a lot as 30cm too lengthy and deep sufficient for 10 layers of pasta. Even so, it was splendid – and I’m dysmetric. I went straight again and swapped it for what I really wanted: a brand new however acquainted 32cm x 22cm x 6cm rectangular porcelain dish for lasagne (I cracked the final one).
Understanding what number of pasta sheets your dish takes is a few of the greatest lasagne recommendation I’ve ever acquired. Mine, for instance, takes two recent or three dried per layer, and I like 5 layers for this explicit lasagne, which turns the method into one among division and building.
For this recipe you want 600g mushrooms, a mix, if potential (chestnut, portobello, porcini, button), all sliced thinly so they may lie flat between the layers of pasta. For extra flavour, it additionally consists of 50g dried porcini soaked in 200ml heat water, which not solely resuscitates the mushrooms, but additionally creates a broth that may be added to the bechamel.
The lasagne consists of taleggio, a semi-soft, washed-rind cow’s milk cheese of historic origin named after the caves of Val Taleggio in Lombardy. Taleggio has a candy and buttery flavour that develops a tangy piquancy because it matures. It’s a desk cheese, in addition to an impressive melting cheese, and is especially good with potatoes, stirred by way of rice or as a topping for polenta or pizza, or certainly encased in pasta. By the way, the time period washed-rind refers back to the weekly washing of the sq. types of taleggio with salt and water to stop any mould forming throughout ageing, which additionally causes the distinctive, rosy-orange colouration of the skinny rind. Just like the mushrooms, the taleggio must be sliced thinly. And don’t fear if the slices rip; they’ll be scattered within the layers.
It’s all the time a good suggestion to go away lasagne to relaxation for at the least 20 minutes earlier than serving. This not solely lets the flavours settle and agency up, but it surely additionally gives a breather for the prepare dinner. Time to kind or tidy up, make a salad and collect everybody to the desk for a slice of this splendid, luxurious however useful lasagne.
Mushroom and taleggio lasagne
Prep 30 min
Prepare dinner 30 min
Serves 6
50g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 200ml water for 20 minutes
100g butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, pores and skin on, squashed, however nonetheless entire
600g recent mushrooms (chestnut, portobello, porcini, button), sliced thinly
1 small sprig recent thyme
80g butter
80g plain flour
1 litre entire milk
Salt and black pepper
Nutmeg
200g taleggio, thinly sliced with the rind on
75g parmesan or grana padano, grated
10 giant sq. recent lasagne sheets, or 15 dried
Warmth the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/fuel 6. You will want an oblong 32cm x 22cm x 6cm deep oven dish.
In a big frying pan on a medium-low warmth, soften the 20g of the butter with the olive oil, then add the garlic, recent mushrooms, thyme and pinch of salt, and prepare dinner, stirring, till the mushrooms have collapsed and are surrounded by a little bit liquid; flip off warmth (they may prepare dinner extra later). Raise the soaked mushrooms from their water, reserving this for later, then chop the porcini and add to the mushroom pan.
Soften the remaining 80g butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring to type thick paste. Whisk within the milk and the strained porcini soaking liquid, and prepare dinner, stirring, till the combination thickens into bechamel. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and two tablespoons of the grated parmesan. Add two-thirds of the bechamel to the mushroom pan and blend it in properly.
Convey a big pan of water to a boil, add salt and, engaged on batches, drop within the recent lasagne sheets for 60 seconds. Plunge into chilly water and unfold on a towel (if you’re utilizing dried lasagne sheets that want soaking, observe the packet directions).
Now assemble the five-layer lasagne. Begin by rubbing the baking dish with oil, then make a base layer of pasta, unfold it with 1 / 4 of the mushroom combine and rip over 1 / 4 of the cheese. Now make one other layer of pasta, one other of mushrooms and cheese, and so forth, and repeat twice extra, then end with a last layer of pasta on high of which fits the remaining bechamel and parmesan.
Bake for half-hour, or till the sides are effervescent and the highest is golden. Depart to sit down for 20 minutes, then serve in slices.
