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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
White Lasagna
By SARAH RINGLER
There are few people who don’t like lasagna. Anything with cheese and pasta is usually popular starting with macaroni and cheese— the simplest combination— to more complicated mixtures like lasagna.
This recipe is a twist because it substitutes a light spread of pesto for the usual tomato sauce. The filling is creamy and can be made with sweet Italian sausage meat or a vegetarian version can be made without the sausage. The sausage adds some bulk but can be replaced by vegetables like broccoli, chard, etc.
I included the pesto recipe because it is easy to make, although this is not the season. File the recipe away and when basil starts appearing in the market or your garden, make up a batch and freeze it in small amounts that can be used throughout the year.
The name pesto comes from the Genoese word “pesta” which means to pound or crush. In Italy, the traditional way to make it is with a marble mortar and a wooden pestle however my recipe below uses a blender. Pine nuts are preferred but walnuts are also very good. There are many variations of pesto today made with arugula, cilantro, red bell peppers and more. Experiment!
White lasagna with pesto
Lasagna noodles – enough to make 3 layers in an 8” by 8” pan (about half a box)
15 oz. ricotta cheese
¼ cup pine nuts
2 ounces goat cheese
1 sweet Italian sausage, cubed or 2/3 ground sausage – can be omitted for vegetarian version
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons basil pesto
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until soft. Drain and run cold water over them.
Butter an 8” by 8” pan. Set the oven to 300 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the ricotta cheese, goat cheese, chives and sundried tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the beaten egg and mix well. Finally, add the sausage meat.
Toast the pine nuts in the oven for about 10 minutes. Do not let them burn.
Add a tablespoon of pesto to the bottom of the baking pan. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles over the pesto. Add half of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle on a spoonful of toasted pine nuts. Cover with a second layer of noodles. Dot the noodles with pesto and cover with the rest of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle on another spoonful of pine nuts. Finally cover with the last layer of noodles. Spread the rest of the pesto and pine nuts over the top. Bake 50 minutes. Let sit and cool for about 5 minutes then cut into 6 squares and serve. It is good served with asparagus.
Pesto:
6-8 cups washed and dried fresh basil leaves
½ cup good olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ to ½ cups walnuts or pine nuts
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Lightly toast the nuts before using. I usually store the nuts in the refrigerator or freezer so they need a little waking up before they are used.
Put the olive oil, garlic, cheese and nuts into a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth. Add the leaves and make a smooth purée. Put into small cups and freeze until ready to use.
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