As Yotam Ottolenghi as soon as stated right here earlier than, a lasagne doesn’t should comprise ragu and bechamel. Within the broadest sense, lasagne is only a layered pasta dish utilizing varied fillings and sauces and, as such, the world is your lasagne. This specific one took place as a result of I used to be so extraordinarily enthusiastic about British asparagus arriving early this 12 months that I purchased far an excessive amount of of it, so needed to give you a starring function for it on the dinner desk. I hithered and thithered about baking the asparagus, in case it misplaced its freshness, however I needn’t have: it’s nonetheless fresh-tasting and, like every good lasagne, comforting in addition.
Asparagus lasagne with vegetarian pecorino
You’ll want a meals processor for the asparagus and a roughly 20cm x 30cm baking dish or oven tray. That is finest served recent and heat, however if you happen to don’t get via it multi functional go, it’s scrumptious if reheated in a sizzling, dry frying pan the following day.
Prep 20 min
Cook dinner 1 hr
Serves 6
80g unsalted butter
4 tbsp plain flour (40g)
1 litre entire milk
160g pecorino (be sure that it’s a vegetarian one), finely grated
2 large pinches coarsely floor black pepper
High quality sea salt
2 bunches asparagus (about 900g), woody ends snapped or reduce off and discarded, the remainder rinsed
5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced paper-thin
2 leeks (350g), greens and whites finely sliced, rinsed and drained
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
25g recent mint, leaves picked and chopped
500g packet dried lasagne sheets (you gained’t want all of them)
First make the pecorino bechamel. Soften half the butter in a saucepan on a medium warmth, then add the flour and prepare dinner, stirring consistently, for one to 2 minutes, to make a thick paste, or roux. Regularly whisk within the milk, beating frequently to stop lumps, then, after about eight minutes, when the combination thickens to a consistency of thick double cream, add half the grated pecorino, a few large pinches of black pepper and a half-teaspoon of salt. Combine effectively and take off the warmth.
Roughly pulse the asparagus in a meals processor till the spears have damaged down into coarse, ½cm items with a rubble texture. In a large frying or saute pan on a medium warmth, soften the remaining 40g butter, then add the garlic and prepare dinner, stirring, for a minute or two, till softened. Stir within the sliced leeks, prepare dinner for 4 minutes, till wilted, then add the asparagus rubble and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes, till the asparagus has softened however nonetheless has some chew. Stir within the lemon zest, mint and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt.
Warmth the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/fuel 6. Sprinkle half the asparagus combine within the base of a 20cm x 30cm oven tray or baking dish. Layer sufficient lasagne sheets aspect by aspect on prime to cowl, then ladle in half the pecorino bechamel and unfold it out evenly. Repeat the layers yet another time, then prime the ultimate layer of bechamel with the remaining 80g grated pecorino. Bake for half-hour, till golden and effervescent, take away and go away to relaxation and accept quarter-hour, then serve.
