My Christmas - Lasagne al Pesto

[Guest guest]

This is an incredible recipe. After this recipe was posted on

CompuServe's Cooks Online forum at least a dozen people made it and

just went bonkers over it. It was voted one of the best recipes

posted in 1998 there.

 

I've used prepared pesto for this but homemade is better. I always

think it is going to serve a lot more people than it does - I guess

people just gobble it up.

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Lasagne Al Pesto [Pesto Lassagna]

 

Recipe By : Ristorante Albergo Moretto[ Bon Appetit MAY 97]

Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Pasta

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

PESTO

2 Cups (packed( basil leaves

1/2 Cup olive oil

1 Cup grated Parmesan

1/4 Cup pine nuts

4 Small garlic cloves, halved

Blend all ingredients in food processor

to a coarse puree.

Season to taste

with salt and pepper.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

1/2 Cup butter

1/3 Cup minced shallots

1/2 Cup all purpose flour

4 Cups whole milk

1 bay leaf

1/4 Tsp nutmeg

LASSAGNA NOODLES

16 lasagne noodles

1/3 Cup vegetable broth

1 1/3 Cups Parmesan

 

Make bechamel: melt butter in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add

shallots,

saute 2 minutes. Add flour, whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to low,

whisk

one minute. Gradually whisk in milk, bring to boil, whisking

constantly. Add

bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes, whisking

frequently. Add

nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly.

 

Butter a 9x 13 baking dish. Cook noodles al dente, rinse under cold

water

and drain.

 

Mix 1 cup pesto with broth in a small bowl (save the rest of the

pesto for

another use). Spread 1/2 cup bechamel on bottom of baking dish.

Cover with

4 noodles. Spread 1 cup bechamel over noodles. Cover with 1/3 of

pesto.

Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan. Repeat these layers twice more. End

with 4

noodles, covered with remaining bechamel, and remaining cheese. (Can

be made

a day ahead).

 

Preheat oven to 375°. Cover lasagne loosely with foil and bake for 30

minutes (45 minutes if refrigerated). Uncover and bake until

bubbling, about

20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

 

Abra's notes: You will think there's neither enough pesto, nor enough

bechamel. By some magic, there really is, so don't add more the

first time

you try it. The only thing I used more of was Parmesan, because I

misread

the directions and used 1/3 of the total, rather than 1/3 cup, for

each

layer. I used no-boil noodles, and made it the night before. After

standing

in the fridge, the noodles were somewhat soft, but didn't seem soft

enough to

me. I poured about 1/2 cup of white wine around the edges before

baking to

add a little steam to the noodles. My family asked for a little more

garlic

next time, but otherwise pronounced it the best lasagne they'd ever

eaten.

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