Portobello Mushroom Lasagna Bianco

I was inspired by a white lasagna I had in Atlanta this year that was made without any tomato sauce. This lasagna recipe is so simple, yet so delicious. The result is a cross between two of my daughter’s favourite dishes: Fettuccini Alfredo and Cream of Mushroom Soup.

I couldn’t cut it fast enough to keep up with the rate at which it was being eaten. Which  surely is an indicator that we have a winner here folks.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

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Portobello Mushroom Lasagna Bianco

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

Salt
Olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds Portobello mushrooms
1 cup parmesan, freshly grated

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of olive oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
3. For the sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside.
   Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
4. Pour the hot milk into the flour-butter mixture. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, nutmeg, and cook over Medium-Low heat until thick, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stirring constantly. Set aside off heat.
5. Remove the mushroom stems and discard. Slice the caps.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan. When the butter melts add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set mushrooms aside.
7. To assemble, spread some of the sauce at the bottom of a lasagna baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then a third of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat two more times.
8. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
9. Bake the lasagana until the top is browned, about 45 minutes. Allow to sit for 15 minutes and serve hot.