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Mushroom Lasagna

By Sandra Wu

Published on October 18, 2011

Time

2¼ hours

Yield

Serves 10 to 12

Featured Comment

"Make this. It’s a bit of a project but worth every second and every morsel. This is how you'll make new friends." —Emily B.

Mushroom lasagna in a white baking pan with serving spoon

Ingredients

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed1 cup water2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, cut into ¼-inch slices¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided1¾ teaspoons pepper, divided2 large red onions, chopped8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and broken into rough pieces4 garlic cloves, minced, divided½ cup dry vermouth3 tablespoons unsalted butter3 tablespoons all-purpose flour3½ cups milk¼ teaspoon nutmeg¼ cup minced fresh parsley, divided¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided8 ounces Italian fontina cheese, shredded (2 cups)1½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (¾ cup)12 no-boil lasagna noodles½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

Before You Begin

If Italian fontina is unavailable, use whole milk mozzarella; we find Danish, Swedish, or American fontinas rubbery. Whole milk is best in the sauce, but skim or low-fat milk also work.

Make Ahead: Assembled lasagna (step 8) can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.

Instructions

  1. Cover ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed, with 1 cup water in small microwave-safe bowl; microwave, covered, for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and roughly chop (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
  2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread 2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, cut into ¼-inch slices, in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, tossing to coat mushrooms evenly; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon table salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss again. Roast mushrooms until shriveled and all liquid released from mushrooms has evaporated, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Set mushrooms aside to cool.
  3. While portobellos roast, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 2 finely chopped large red onions, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned around edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer onions to large bowl and set aside.
  4. Process 8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and broken into rough pieces, in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about six 1-second pulses, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and all moisture has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes.
  5. Reduce heat to medium and stir in porcini mushrooms, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup dry vermouth and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and cook until melted. Add 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add reserved porcini soaking liquid, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add 3½ cups milk and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened and reached consistency of heavy cream, 10 to 15 minutes (you should have about 4 cups). Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons minced parsley and ¼ cup minced basil.
  7. Combine 2 cups shredded Italian fontina and ¾ cup grated Parmesan in medium bowl. Toss cooled portobello mushrooms with onions in large bowl. Place 12 no-boil lasagna noodles in 13 by 9-inch ovensafe baking dish and cover with hot tap water; let soak 5 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on kitchen towel. Wipe baking dish dry and coat with butter.
  8. Using silicone spatula, evenly distribute 1 cup mushroom sauce in bottom of baking dish; position 3 noodles on top of sauce. Spread ¾ cup sauce evenly over noodles followed by 2 cups mushroom-onion mixture and ¾ cup cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, sauce, mushroom-onion mixture, and cheese two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of last layer of cheese. Spread remaining sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Lightly spray large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. (Lasagna can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.)
  9. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. (If lasagna has been refrigerated, increase baking time to 30 minutes.) While lasagna is baking, combine remaining 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 tablespoons minced basil, and 1 minced garlic clove with ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest in small bowl.
  10. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, remove foil from lasagna, and continue to bake until cheese on top becomes spotty brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove lasagna from oven and immediately sprinkle evenly with herb mixture. Cool 15 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.
Mushroom lasagna in a white baking pan with serving spoon
Photography by Kritsada. Styling by Christine Tobin.

Mushroom Lasagna

Headshot of Sandra Wu
By Sandra Wu
Save

Time

2¼ hours

Yield

Serves 10 to 12

Featured Comment

"Make this. It’s a bit of a project but worth every second and every morsel. This is how you'll make new friends." —Emily B.

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

Why This Recipe Works

Many mushroom lasagna recipes call for lots of different exotic mushrooms. But with the right treatment, supermarket ingredients can yield a dish that’s equally delicious. We start by roasting portobellos to drive off excess liquid and concentrate their flavor. Fortifying the sauce with sautéed button mushrooms and chopped dried porcini (plus the liquid used to rehydrate them) makes for a triple hit of mushroom flavor. Buttery fontina cheese and Parmesan bring nuttiness and depth. And a last-minute sprinkle of raw garlic, herbs, and lemon zest add just the right amount of brightness.

Before You Begin

If Italian fontina is unavailable, use whole milk mozzarella; we find Danish, Swedish, or American fontinas rubbery. Whole milk is best in the sauce, but skim or low-fat milk also work.

Make Ahead: Assembled lasagna (step 8) can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.

Instructions

  1. Cover ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed, with 1 cup water in small microwave-safe bowl; microwave, covered, for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and roughly chop (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
  2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread 2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, cut into ¼-inch slices, in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, tossing to coat mushrooms evenly; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon table salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss again. Roast mushrooms until shriveled and all liquid released from mushrooms has evaporated, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Set mushrooms aside to cool.
  3. While portobellos roast, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 2 finely chopped large red onions, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned around edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer onions to large bowl and set aside.
  4. Process 8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and broken into rough pieces, in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about six 1-second pulses, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and all moisture has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes.
  5. Reduce heat to medium and stir in porcini mushrooms, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup dry vermouth and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and cook until melted. Add 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add reserved porcini soaking liquid, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add 3½ cups milk and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened and reached consistency of heavy cream, 10 to 15 minutes (you should have about 4 cups). Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons minced parsley and ¼ cup minced basil.
  7. Combine 2 cups shredded Italian fontina and ¾ cup grated Parmesan in medium bowl. Toss cooled portobello mushrooms with onions in large bowl. Place 12 no-boil lasagna noodles in 13 by 9-inch ovensafe baking dish and cover with hot tap water; let soak 5 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on kitchen towel. Wipe baking dish dry and coat with butter.
  8. Using silicone spatula, evenly distribute 1 cup mushroom sauce in bottom of baking dish; position 3 noodles on top of sauce. Spread ¾ cup sauce evenly over noodles followed by 2 cups mushroom-onion mixture and ¾ cup cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, sauce, mushroom-onion mixture, and cheese two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of last layer of cheese. Spread remaining sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Lightly spray large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. (Lasagna can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.)
  9. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. (If lasagna has been refrigerated, increase baking time to 30 minutes.) While lasagna is baking, combine remaining 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 tablespoons minced basil, and 1 minced garlic clove with ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest in small bowl.
  10. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, remove foil from lasagna, and continue to bake until cheese on top becomes spotty brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove lasagna from oven and immediately sprinkle evenly with herb mixture. Cool 15 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.
  11. 11.Enjoy!
    Mushroom lasagna in a white baking pan with serving spoon

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