Béchamel is a simple white sauce with a roux (flour and butter) base, whipped with milk, half and half, or light cream. Flavor enhancers often include ground nutmeg, a little lemon zest, fresh or dried herbs, or cheese, as in this recipe.
Grated pepperjack may not be a common cheese to use in béchamel, but it adds a savory, tangy twist to the smooth, creamy sauce and coats this vegetarian lasagna with a silky texture and rich cheesy flavor.
Roasting the butternut squash, mushrooms, and scallions before tossing them with the stuffing brings out their deep, earthy flavors, and it’s a simple process that doesn’t take long. Toss them with a little oil, salt and pepper on a baking tray and roast for about 15 minutes. That’s all about it.
Advice: To cut squash into 1/4-inch crescent slices, first cut off the long end at the base of the bulb, then peel; cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into slices; Remove the seeds if using the bulb end.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
for the lasagna
- 1 large butternut squash, 2-1/2 to 3 pounds, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch crescent slices
- 8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 5 spring onions, white and green parts separated; green parts chopped and reserved
- olive oil, for drizzling and greasing the baking dish
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Mix of Italian dried herbs, to decorate
for the bechamel
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 pint half and half
- 3/4 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
for the lasagna
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large, shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
- Arrange sliced squash, mushrooms, and white parts of spring onions in skillet and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss or toss to coat. Grill 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Let vegetables cool for 10 minutes, then place scallions on a cutting board and chop.
- In a large bowl, combine the squash, mushrooms, reserved white and green parts of the spring onion, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Gently toss to combine, trying not to break the squash into small pieces.
- Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water for 8-9 minutes, until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
for the bechamel
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the flour, continuing to whisk until just incorporated, 3 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high and gradually add half and half, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Stir in pepperjack cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to low.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens slightly (it should cover the back of a spoon), 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
To Assemble and Bake
- Lightly grease a 13 X 9-inch baking dish and place 4 lasagna noodles on the bottom, slightly overlapping. Spread half of the nut mixture over the noodles.
- Pour 1/3 of the bechamel on top, smoothing as much as possible. Repeat layering with 4 more noodles, remaining nut mixture, and 1/3 of the sauce.
- Finish the dish with 4 noodles and spread the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top and sprinkle with dried herbs.
- Bake uncovered until bubbly and beginning to brown on top, 35-40 minutes.
Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.