Recipe courtesy of Gabriele Bertaccini
Recipe courtesy of Gabriele Bertaccini
Watch how to make this recipe.
Lasagna Bianca
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 40 min (includes resting and cooling times)
- Active: 1 hr 10 min
- Yield: 2 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 2 servings
- Calories
- 1735
- Total Fat
- 112 g
- Saturated Fat
- 54 g
- Carbohydrates
- 84 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Protein
- 88 g
- Cholesterol
- 547 mg
- Sodium
- 2307 mg
This luscious Lasagna Bianca is a true labor of love—perfect for a special dinner for two when you want to cook something deeply comforting and memorable. Delicate fresh pasta, a savory blend of mushrooms and sausage and a velvety besciamella come together in layers that feel both rustic and elegant. Although the dish takes time, every step is worth it, and the results are pure magic. To make life easier, the lasagna can be fully assembled ahead of time. Simply cover loosely and refrigerate. When you're ready to bake, pull it from the fridge about 20 minutes before it goes into the oven, and add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the covered baking time to ensure it's heated through. After that, just uncover, brown and enjoy the kind of cozy, slow-made meal that feels like a celebration all on its own.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 40 min (includes resting and cooling times)
- Active: 1 hr 10 min
- Yield: 2 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 2 servings
- Calories
- 1735
- Total Fat
- 112 g
- Saturated Fat
- 54 g
- Carbohydrates
- 84 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Protein
- 88 g
- Cholesterol
- 547 mg
- Sodium
- 2307 mg
Ingredients
Pasta:
Besciamella and Assembly:
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Directions
Special equipment:
a pasta maker; a 6-by-8-inch rectangular baking dish- For the pasta: Combine the 00 flour and salt in a mound on your work surface and make a well in the center. Combine the olive oil, egg yolks and 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the center of the well and, with the fork, begin to bring in the flour mixture, stirring to form a dough. Once you've brought in enough of the flour mixture to make a dough, use your hands to knead in the rest of the flour mixture, adding a little more water if it’s too crumbly or a little more 00 flour if it is too sticky, until the dough is smooth and supple, 6 to 8 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (You can also make this dough in a food processor: add the wet ingredients to the dry with the machine running and process until a smooth ball forms on the blade, 40 seconds to a minute, adjusting the flour and water as needed.)
- Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces. Cover 1 piece with a kitchen towel and set aside. Flatten the remaining dough piece and dust with 00 flour (dust with more 00 flour during the rolling process as needed). Run it through the widest setting of a pasta maker. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter and feed it through the same setting, then continue running the dough through the machine, moving to a thinner setting each time, until you have a long, thin sheet you can barely see your hand through. Dust the sheet in flour and set aside while you roll the second piece of dough.
- For the besciamella and assembly: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally and breaking it up with a spoon, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet and once hot, add the mushrooms, thyme and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms and garlic are browned, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage back in along with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Mix to combine and remove from the heat.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Fill a large bowl with ice and water for an ice bath.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When melted, whisk in the all-purpose flour to make a smooth paste. Cook for 1 minute, then season with the nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the fontina until melted. Combine the Parmigiano-Reggiano and remaining fontina in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Add 1 dough sheet to the boiling water and cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes. Remove with tongs and a spider to the ice bath to cool, moving it around so it doesn’t stick to itself. Repeat with the second dough sheet. Once chilled, remove to kitchen towels to drain.
- To assemble: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 6-by-8-inch rectangular baking dish.
- Spread a thin layer of besciamella in the bottom of the dish. Lay 1 pasta sheet in the dish crosswise, with about 3 inches overhanging on the other edge. Lay the other sheet lengthwise in the same way, so the 2 sheets are crossing in different directions. Top with a third of the sausage mixture and a quarter of the cheese mixture and besciamella and spread with the back of a spoon to compact a bit. Fold each layer of pasta over. Make 2 more layers in this manner, then fold the remaining pasta and overhang over to seal the top. Trim off any excess pasta with scissors and gently press the top so the layers adhere. Spread with the remaining besciamella and sprinkle with the remaining cheese mixture.
- Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and tent the baking dish with foil, taking care that the foil doesn’t touch the top of the lasagna. Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the top is nicely browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes more. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
