By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(164)
- Notes
- Read community notes
There will be a day when the weather suddenly cools and my basil plants and those at your farmers’ market stop thriving, but that day hasn’t come yet. So I’m making lots of pesto and pistou (pesto without the nuts), putting some of it in the freezer (I just blend the basil and olive oil together for the freezer and add the other ingredients when I thaw the mixture) and using the rest in all manner of pastas. This is the first time I’ve used it in a lasagna.
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 6
- 1cup, tightly packed, basil leaves (1 ounce)
- 1large garlic clove, peeled, halved green shoot removed if there is one
- Salt to taste
- 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1ounce Parmesan, grated (¼ cup, tightly packed)
- 1egg
- ½pound fresh ricotta
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1pound mushrooms, sliced
- 1garlic clove, minced
- 2tablespoons dry white wine (optional)
- 6 to 8ounces no-boil lasagna noodles (depending on the size of your baking dish)
- 2ounces freshly grated Parmesan (½ cup, tightly packed)
For the Pistou
For the Lasagna
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
370 calories; 20 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 443 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Grind the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or in a mortar and pestle. Add salt to taste and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Blend or grind until smooth. Blend in the Parmesan (¼ cup) and set aside.
Step
2
In a medium size bowl whisk the egg and add the ricotta and the pistou. Whisk to blend well.
Step
3
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the mushrooms. Do not stir for about 1 minute, then shake the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are moist and beginning to soften. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Add the wine if using, or a couple of tablespoons of water or stock and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant, another couple of minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Step
4
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a rectangular baking dish with olive oil. Spread a small spoonful of the ricotta mixture in a thin layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with a thin layer of ricotta, spooning on a few dollops then spreading it with an offset or a rubber spatula. Top the ricotta with half the mushrooms, and sprinkle Parmesan over the mushrooms. Repeat the layers, then add a final layer of lasagna noodles topped with ricotta and Parmesan. Make sure that the noodles are covered with ricotta and that there are no dry exposed edges. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top.
Step
5
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the mixture is bubbling. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Tip
- Advance preparation: You can assemble this through Step 4 hours before bakingthe lasagna and refrigerate until shortly before baking. You can freeze the lasagna, beforeor after baking.
Ratings
4
out of 5
164
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Cooking Notes
Daniel
This lasagna tastes great, but it is very difficult to get the stated amount of ricotta to cover the pasta so that they cook through in the oven. I wonder if it would turn out better if you pre-cooked the pasta or used fresh pasta.
Cathleen
I completely agree with the previous review. I used fresh pasta and it worked out fine. The ricotta wasn't enough to fully cover the noodles, but with some olive oil drizzled over the exposed sections (corners mostly), the dish turned out light and very nicely done. I would make it again.
HOC
Very tasty but I supplemented with a bechamel to keep the layers moist. Also sliced fresh mozzarella on top. Delicious!
Soojay
Thank you, readers, for your suggestions, which made this delicious and plentiful. I made two 8X8 lasagnas, used ground basil, which I had frozen in oo this summer, used more than dbl ricotta + mushrooms (sauteed crispy first in batches, then added wh wine), 2 eggs, added fresh basil leaves and burrata bits to the layers, and froze one of the lasagnas. We had the second tonight, reheated from the freezer at 400 for 45 minutes. Next time, I'll add a chopped green, maybe spinach. 2 great meals.
JB
Tastes great and made a few minor additions:-Added a little spinach and an extra, small garlic clove to the pistou-Diced a shallot to cook with the mushroomsThe only thing missing was the size of the pan to use. I probably got about 3x3 sheets of pasta with a 13x9" glass pan. Probably could have gotten deeper stacks if I used a smaller pan.
john
Used pesto I had in freezer (I’d made some from a bounty of basil and frozen it), instead of making pistou.
john
I used pesto (I have a freezer full, from biting way too much basil from CSA) in place of pistou. Seemed to taste ok - we scarfed it - and made for a remarkably easy to assemble lasagne.
Jill
It was good. I made it in a 7x10 baking dish and the ricotta was sufficient. It's a bit of a dry lasagna; wondering if I should have left more moisture in the mushrooms? It was missing a bit of zip; might have benefited from some tomato to add some acid or some mozzarella to make it creamy. We enjoyed it but I probably won't add it to my favorites.
Laurie Dunn
I would highly recommend using fresh pasta, or pre cooking the noodles. And yes, you need more mushrooms and more ricotta mixture than called for! My first attempt at making this lasagna produced a tasty but flat dish. Also, I recommend removing the foil for about 5 minutes at the end so that the cheese on top can brown slightly.
sophie
Absolutely INCREDIBLE with fresh pasta... Could certainly double the ricotta mixture and mushrooms for some juicier layers.
Al Carter
I don't think this lasagna is big enough for 6 people. I would suggest it is more suited to serving 4 people.
Zahra
This recipe says it's gluten free, but what about the lasagna noodles?
Margaret
Highly recommend this dish--easy to make and beautiful presentation, and the flavors are terrific.
Jessica
We used a pound of ricotta and were sparing with layering it on, but it covered three layers of noodles completely. We also added some mozzarella cheese because the parmesan by itself was not enough to cover all of the layers.
Cathleen
I completely agree with the previous review. I used fresh pasta and it worked out fine. The ricotta wasn't enough to fully cover the noodles, but with some olive oil drizzled over the exposed sections (corners mostly), the dish turned out light and very nicely done. I would make it again.
Daniel
This lasagna tastes great, but it is very difficult to get the stated amount of ricotta to cover the pasta so that they cook through in the oven. I wonder if it would turn out better if you pre-cooked the pasta or used fresh pasta.
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