Holiday lasagne with roasted vegetables and pesto pt 1

12 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1½ pounds Sliced zucchini; 1/2-inch rounds
2 larges Red bell peppers; 1-inch pieces
2 larges Leeks with white and pale green; thinly sliced
1¼ pounds Mushrooms; quartered
Salt and black pepper; to taste
½ cup Pesto sauce; your choice
3 tablespoons Unsalted butter
3 tablespoons All-purpose flour
2 cups Hot whole milk
Salt and white pepper; to taste
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg; freshly grated
1½ pounds Ricotta cheese
3 larges Eggs
1 cup Parmesan cheese; freshly grated
2 tablespoons Finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and white pepper; to taste
1 pounds Lasagna noodles
Fresh or dried; green or white
¾ pounds Muenster cheese; thinly sliced
And diced
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese; freshly grated

Directions

ROASTED VEGETABLES

WHITE SAUCE

RICOTTA-CHEESE LAYER

ADDITIONS

ROASTED VEGETABLES: Clean the vegetables, being careful to remove the sand from the leek rings. Preheat the oven to 450F. In a large roasting pan, combine the oil, zucchini, peppers, leeks, and mushrooms and toss to coat all the ingredients. Roast vegetables until softened, about 45 to 50 minutes, turning occasionally to keep them from sticking. (Note - water may accumulate in the pan: drain excess and continue to roast.) Transfer the vegetables to a mixing bowl, cool, and season with salt and pepper. Gently toss the vegetables with the pesto, taste for seasoning, and set aside.

WHITE SAUCE: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.

Off the heat, whisk in the flour until blended. Return the pan to the heat and cook the flour for 2 minutes, whisking continuously until it is bubbly but the mixture has not changed color. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the hot milk, beating to prevent lumps from forming. Return to the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and whisk until thickened about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and taste for seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.

RICOTTA-CHEESE LAYER: Combine the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl and mix well.

NOODLES: cook in a large pot of salted boiling water (10 minutes for dried, 3 to 4 minutes if fresh), until just al dente. Drain and place the pasta in a mixing bowl; cover with lukewarm water. When the noodles are tepid, lay them in a single layer on paper towels to dry. Blot the pasta dry and set aside.

LAYERING: To assemble the lasagne, spread half of the white sauce in the bottom of a deep 13-inch-long ovenproof lasagne pan. Top the sauce with one third of the noodles, then half of the vegetable pesto mixture, then half the ricotta-cheese mixture. On top of the ricotta cheese mixture, place half of the Muenster. Continue building the lasagna with the second third of noodles, the remaining white sauce, the remaining vegetables, and the last third of the noodles. Add the second half of the ricotta-cheese mixture, the remaining Muenster, and then sprinkle the ⅓ cup Parmesan evenly on top. With a serrated knife, cut the lasagne into equal squares (9 or 12), which will help when you serve it.

NOTE - The lasagne can be prepared up to 2 days ahead to this point. Seal in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and bake. It may also be frozen at this stage. Bake it in a 375F above without defrosting for about 1 hour or until piping hot in the center.

Meanwhile PREHEAT OVEN to 375F. BAKE for about 45 minutes or until piping hot and bubbling throughout. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

PANTRY: Commercially prepared pesto sauces are available in a variety of bases: basil; mixed-herb; herb with vegetable; and sun-dried tomato. Any would be suitable.

SOURCE: The California Cook, by Diane Rossen Worthington (Bantam 1994).

continued in part 2

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