PESTO LASAGNE ( FROM CHEZ PANISSE PASTA, PIZZA AND CALZONE COOKBOOK)

PESTO LASAGNE ( FROM CHEZ PANISSE PASTA, PIZZA AND CALZONE COOKBOOK) image

Categories Pasta

Yield 6-8 people

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

For the pesto:
3 cloves garlic (CP = 5 or 6 cloves)
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
Ground black pepper
4 cups fresh basil leaves
3/4 cups olive oil
1/3 cup lightly toasted pine nuts)
2/3 cup shredded parmesan and pecorino romano blended
For the bechamel sauce:
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Ground nutmeg
White pepper
Bouquet garni of -- 2 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs parsley, bay leaf, 3 cloves garlic and 1 slice onion.
Home made, very thin lasagne noodles, cooked and dried.
To assemble:
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup parmesan and pecorino romano blended
2 Tbsp butter

Steps:

To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter on the stove on low heat. As soon as it's melted add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon for about 4-5 mins. Don't let the butter or the flour brown! Combine the half-and-half and the cream and set aside. Whisk one cup of the cream mixture into the roux, over low heat, until it's thickened slightly. Then pour the remaining cream mixture in an even stream into the sauce and keep whisking for a few minutes until combined and slightly thick. Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and white pepper. Toss teh bouquet garni into the sauce. Set the pan on top of a double boiler, cover and let barely simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Remove bechamel from the heat and let cool slightly. Remove the bouquet garni from the bechamel sauce and toss out. Stir one half of the pesto into the bechamel sauce. When assembling your lasagna try to lay the first layer of the noodles in such way that large pieces of the noodles are continue to hang over all four sides of the dish. Once the dish is filled you will wrap these extra layers over the top and wrap them like a package. This seals in the sauce as the dish bakes. Use a 9x12 pan. Spread a small amount of pesto on the bottom, just to grease the dish. Lay the first layer of noodles as described above. Cover in a layer of the pesto bechamel sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Add a layer of noodles, then cover in a layer of pesto. Repeat these 3 layers. Top the last layer with bechamel. Fold the noodles hanging over the edge of the dish over the top of the lasagna, like a package. Sprinkle with the parmesan and pecorino combination. Then sprinkle with the bread crumbs and then dot with the butter. Bake in a 350 degree oven covered in foil for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 15 more minutes, or until the top is a golden brown. Let set for about 10 minutes before serving.