Not everyone likes tomatoes. How this is a fact of life, I don’t know, but it’s true. Around my house, I’m known for putting tomatoes in just about everything, so when I’m having company over who may feel averse to the pulpy, red fruit, I have to dig deep into the recesses of my brain for inspiration that isn’t tainted by the vine-ripened morsels.
Luckily, if there’s one thing everyone can agree on (assuming they’re not vegan or lactose intolerant) is cheese. Layers upon layers of ooey, gooey, melty cheese. That’s what you’ll find in my recipe for this creamy, cheesy, layered lasagna. Three layers to be exact. And each layer is loaded with a trio of Parmesan, Romano and mozzarella along with a flavorful ricotta-egg mixture, a generous spread of rich and creamy white wine sauce and a hearty helping of sausage and spinach. This lasagna will have your dinner guests going back for seconds and maybe even thirds.
It’s not uncommon for white lasagna recipes to include a bit of lemon zest. Instead of adding lemon, I opt for a citrusy white wine like Left Coast Cellars’ Truffle Hill Chardonnay. Light and fragrant, this Chardonnay add a touch of floral and citrus to this otherwise rich and creamy dish. Serve this entreé alongside stemmed glasses of this crisp and refreshing white for the perfect pairing.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 1 hours
Makes: One 9×13-inch lasagna
Ingredients:
2 boxes oven-ready lasagna noodles
2 cups three cheese Italian cheese blend (I use Romano, Parmesan and mozzarella), grated
For the sausage-spinach filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
16 ounces ground Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
16 ounces fresh spinach
For the béchamel:
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
2 ½ cups half and half
½ cup Left Coast Cellars’ Truffle Hill Chardonnay
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
For ricotta:
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm olive oil and sauté sausage and onion until cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes.
In a separate pan, while sausage and onions are cooking, prepare béchamel.
Melt butter over medium heat. Once better is nearly melted, slowly whisk in flour, adding just a little bit at a time and stirring constantly so as not to burn the butter. Continue whisking until all flour has been incorporated and mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
To the béchamel, add cream and wine, stirring continuously until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Once mixture has reduced slightly, add Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Return to sausage and onion mixture and add spinach. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until spinach has wilted. Remove mixture from heat and pour through strainer. Drain excess liquid and return to pan. Combine one cup of béchamel with sausage mixture and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, cheese, egg and a pinch of salt and pepper. To this you can also add crushed red pepper.
To prepare the lasagna, spread a thin layer of béchamel across the bottom of the pan and line with lasagna noodles. Add a layer of ricotta and the sausage mixture (⅓ of each) and top with another layer of noodles and béchamel. Repeat this process two more times, then top lasagna with three-cheese blend. Cover with foil and place in center rack of preheated oven.
Bake lasagna for 1 hour or until lasagna is bubbling around the edges. Once fully cooked, remove foil and broil top until golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and serve.
Note: Want to make this dish vegetarian? Simply substitute the sausage with mushrooms.
