Pesto Mushroom Lasagne

The trick to this recipe is to find the thinnest lasagne noodles possible. Of course, you could make your own noodles; this would, of course, produce the highest quality, best tasting, thin noodle experience. Unfortunately, we don’t all have time for that. Feel free to go for the store bought; the recipe will nonetheless be delicious. This lasagne puts together all of our favorite wine pairing flavors: pesto, mushrooms, and garlic. This recipe takes time, but is definitely worth the outcome.

Fresh lasagne noodles (your favorite recipe or store bought) enough for a 10 x 14 lasagne pan
1 pound fresh Porcini or Portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 ounces dried Porcini Mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups milk, warmed
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup fresh basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook noodles according to package directions (reserve a small amount of noodle water, about 1/4 cup). Hydrate the dried porcini in 1 cup of warm water for thirty minutes, then drain and coarsely chop.

Prepare the béchamel sauce. Over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, about 2 minutes. Don’t let it brown. Add in the warmed milk and whisk until the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Allow to cook for 2 minutes more, then remove from heat to cool.

Sauté all of the mushrooms and garlic in olive oil and 1 tbsp butter until tender, about 10 minutes.

Mix a little pesto with about a tablespoon of noodle water and spread along the bottom of the buttered lasagne dish.

Place a layer of noodles to cover the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with mushroom mixture. Spread a layer of  béchamel on top of mushrooms then cover with a layer of noodles. Smear a thin layer of pesto sauce on top of the noodle and sprinkle with cheese. Continue to layer in this manner until all ingredients are used up or you have reached the top of the pan.

Sprinkle the top layer with béchamel, pesto, and cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top.

Pour your Merlot while waiting for 10 minutes to allow the lasagne to sit and cool before cutting.