A little lighter than a traditional meat-based lasagna, this dish comes into its own in late autumn when the cavolo nero is delicious and mushrooms are available in abundance. You could replace the cavolo nero with kale, or with other winter greens such as chard depending on what you have to hand.
Serves 6
Ingredients
350g Mushrooms, this really depends on what you can get, a mix is good, perhaps some cremini, some porcini and chanterelles would be the perfect combination, but don’t let that stall you – it works with every type
450g Cavolo Nero, cut out the central core of each leaf and just use the softer parts of the leaves. Slice in to very thin strips, rinse well
Zest of a lemon
250g Ricotta cheese
Dried Lasagna sheets – get a 500g box, you won’t need them all.
1 garlic clove, finely grated
A sprig of fresh thyme
Montecalvi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Seasoning to taste
Freshly grated parmesan
Ingredients for the bechamel
25g Butter
25g Plain Flour
250ml Full fat milk
Grated nutmeg
Method
Begin by preparing the mushrooms, brushing and trimming away any remnants of the forest. Slice roughly. Then in a heavy frying pan, add a grated clove of garlic and a generous glug of Montecalvi new season Extra Virgin Olive Oil and allow to brown and melt over a low heat for a couple of minutes. Then add the mushrooms, coating well and add seasoning of salt and pepper, plus some fresh thyme if you have it. Depending on the mushrooms you use, they will likely lose some water at the start of the cooking – persist and let this evaporate away until the mushrooms begin to take on a lovely golden colour and stick a bit to the pan – 10-12 minutes typically. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
Then return the same pan to a medium heat and add the cavolo nero, a pinch of flaked sea salt and cook, tossing frequently until it has wilted and is tender (around 12 to 15 minutes). You may need to add a few splashes of water along the way if the pan looks dry. Taste and adjust the seasoning before setting aside.
Now turn your attention to the bechamel. Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Then add the flour and stir to make a smooth paste or roux. Then cook this for a minute or two. Whisk in the milk to avoid lumps and you will see the consistency gradually thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine the lemon zest and ricotta in a bowl.
Heat the oven to 375F/180C. To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of mushrooms across a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, then on top, scatter some of the cavolo nero, then above this a few evenly spaced dollops of ricotta, then the sheets of lasagna. Repeat this to make a second tier. And if your ingredients allow, even a third. Then pour over the bechamel and cover with a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan.
Bake in the over for 20 minutes covered in tin foil. Then for a further 20 minutes without the tin foil to allow the top to turn golden and the juices to bubble around the edges. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
