As Yotam Ottolenghi as soon as mentioned right here earlier than, a lasagne doesn’t need to include ragu and bechamel. Within the broadest sense, lasagne is only a layered pasta dish utilizing numerous fillings and sauces and, as such, the world is your lasagne. This explicit 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 provide you with a starring position 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 several good lasagne, comforting as well.
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 greatest served contemporary and heat, however should you don’t get by means of it multi function go, it’s scrumptious if reheated in a scorching, 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 it’s a vegetarian one), finely grated
2 massive pinches coarsely floor black pepper
High quality sea salt
2 bunches asparagus (about 900g), woody ends snapped or minimize off and discarded, the remaining 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 contemporary mint, leaves picked and chopped
500g packet dried lasagne sheets (you received’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 cook dinner, stirring continuously, for one to 2 minutes, to make a thick paste, or roux. Steadily whisk within the milk, beating commonly to forestall lumps, then, after about eight minutes, when the combination thickens to a consistency of thick double cream, add half the grated pecorino, a few massive 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 cook dinner, stirring, for a minute or two, till softened. Stir within the sliced leeks, cook 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 chunk. 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 facet by facet on high to cowl, then ladle in half the pecorino bechamel and unfold it out evenly. Repeat the layers another time, then high the ultimate layer of bechamel with the remaining 80g grated pecorino. Bake for half-hour, till golden and effervescent, take away and depart to relaxation and accept quarter-hour, then serve.
