May 19, 1993|By Dotty Griffith | Dotty Griffith,Dallas Morning News Universal Press Syndicate
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables are soft and liquid has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in artichoke hearts. Remove from heat.
Stir together ricotta, milk, blue cheese and Canadian bacon; reserve 1 cup.
Spoon some of the vegetables over the bottom of a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish. Cover with noodles and spread one-third of the ricotta mixture on top. Continue to layer with vegetables, noodles and cheese mixture, ending with noodles. Cover with reserved cheese mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes or until brown and heated through.
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Lasagna with spinach, mushrooms and cheese
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
1 pound lasagna noodles
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 shallots, finely chopped
3/4 pound button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan (divided use)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and dried
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions; set aside. Place oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook about 5 minutes, until soft. Add mushrooms; cook until liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl and reserve.
Melt butter in the skillet; blend in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in milk; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the Gorgonzola, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and the tomato paste. Continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is melted.
Stir half the mushroom mixture into the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat; reserve.
In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, 3/4 cup $l Parmesan, eggs, basil, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste with the remaining mushroom mixture; stir to blend.
(Both the sauce and the filling can be made a day in advance, covered tightly and refrigerated; reheat before assembling the lasagna.)
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of 2-quart casserole. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spoon a layer of spinach/mushroom filling over the noodles and top with sauce. Repeat layers, ending with noodles and a thin layer of sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over top. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes or until browned and bubbly. (If the top browns before the sauce is bubbly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.)
