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Lisa Lasagna's Lasagna

Source of Recipe

adapted from Beat That! Cookbook


List of Ingredients


TOMATO SAUCE:
1/2 cup minced onions
2 tablespoons corn oil
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
2 cups canned tomatoes in thick puree (Redpack)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 long strip orange rind
salt and pepper to taste

BECHAMEL SAUCE:
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
5 large shallots, minced
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
a few gratings of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

EVERYTHING ELSE:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil
10 curly lasagna noodles -- (10 to 12)
2 packages frozen whole spinach, thawed
6 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 cups cooked chopped shrimp or chicken
2 cups sliced mushrooms, saute til tender in
2 tbl. unsalted butter (save liquid)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced Gruyere cheese -- (8-10 ounces)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese


Recipe

Note: this lasagna takes ages to make; it is suggested to break preparation down over two days. On the first day, make the sauces, cook the chicken or shrimp, slice the Gruyere, make and crumble the bacon, grate the parmesan, set spinach out to thaw, and saute the mushrooms. Wrap or cover everything except the spinach tightly and chili t until next day. On the next day do everything else.

TOMATO SAUCE: In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion in the oil for 5 minutes, until wilted. Add the fresh tomatoes to the onion and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, garlic and orange rind. Half-cover the pan and simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes, or until it's nice and thick. Season it to taste with salt and pepper. Remove orange rind. Process sauce in blender or food processor until smooth.

BECHAMEL SAUCE: In a small saucepan, combine the milk and chicken broth and set over low heat. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, saute the shallots in the butter until they have softened, about 3 minutes. When the butter is bubbling, dump in all the flour at once. Whisk the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes; don't let it brown. Gradually stir the hot milk-broth mixture into the shallot mixture, whisking constantly. Add the wine. Then bring the sauce to a boil and, still whisking constantly, cook it until it's thick enough to coat a spoon. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. If you're making the bechamel ahead of time, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and pour a couple of tablespoons of milk on top of the sauce to keep a skin from forming.

EVERYTHING ELSE AND ASSEMBLY: Preheat oven to 400ºF, with a rack in the upper third. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and oil to the water; cook the lasagna according to the package directions, 11-13 minutes. Squeeze the spinach in a towel to remove every bit of moisture. Use scissors or a sharp knife to chop the spinach. Give the chopped spinach one more wring-out in the towel. Toss together the bacon and the shrimp or chicken until they're well combined.

When the noodles are done, drain well and run cold water over it; drain again. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan well. Stir the cooked mushrooms and their liquid into the bechamel sauce, which will be quite thick if it's been chilled. Stir in the thyme. Put about 1/3 cup. of bechamel into bottom of the pan and spread around with a rubber spatula. Place first layer of noodles on the sauce and cover noodles with about 1 cup more of bechamel. Scatter half of spinach over the sauce; scatter half of meat-bacon mixture over the spinach; scatter half of the Gruyere over the meat; and spoon about 1/2 cup more bechamel over the Gruyere.

Apply the second layer of noodles and repeat the procedure exactly. Apply the top layer of noodles and cover it with whatever bechamel is left. Cover that with about 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce. Cover that with the grated parmesan. Bake the lasagna for 30-40 minutes, until it's bubbling all over and the parmesan has browned. Let the dish sit for 5-10minutes before you cut it to help it set. Serves 8.