Spring Vegetable Three Cheese Lasagna
When I think about lasagna, I picture being huddled around a kitchen counter top with forty guys, fighting for the largest piece of Stouffer’s at high school football team dinners. Although, the defrostable lasagna did the trick back then, it was time to recreate one of my favorite pasta dishes.
Most people think that lasagna is an Italian thing but some say its origin has Greek roots. The word lasagna comes from the Greek word for chamber pot, lasanan; which describes the cooking vessel for this classic cassarole dish. You know it’s officially Spring when the asparagus section takes over an entire area of the grocery store.
I grabbed four healthy bunches of firm stalks to be the center of attention in my Spring lasagna. Another one of my favorite Spring vegetables made its debut in the produce section as well.
The Spring Vidalia onions were in season and more bulbous than ever. Spring Vidalias look like scallions on steroids; bright green stems attached to baseball-sized bulbs of sweet, pungent onions.
I picked up some Crimini mushrooms to add an earthy flavor into the mix before I set off to the cheese section.
I was in no mood to stand over a hot stove whisking up a Bechemel sauce, so I replaced it with a local farm ricotta cheese. Maplebrook farm is located in Bennington, VT and they make all sorts of artisan cheese.
Their 100% whole milk ricotta is unlike any ricotta I have ever tasted, probably because it’s made by hand with zero preservatives. The second cheese that I picked out was for the wow factor. Taleggio is an Italian, washed rind, cows milk cheese that has a wicked funky aroma but a creamy and mild flavor. Lastly, I got some Parmesan-Reggiano to sprinkle in between each layer for a slightly salty, nutty component.
With all these creamy cheeses, I decided to add something crunchy for a contrast in texture.
I picked up a tub of unsalted cashews to chop up for a buttery, crunchy crust, and I headed home to start the long preparation process. I cleaned, sliced and roasted my mushrooms in a hot oven with no salt. Salt draws all of the moisture out of the mushrooms and they’ll end up steaming into rubbery, yellow things.
Wait until after they shrivel and get a nice dark, roasted brown color before you season them. I sliced my asparagus on the bias and blanched them quickly before transferring them to an ice bath. The ice bath immediately stops the cooking process and helps retain the beautiful, green color. I sliced the spring onions and gently sauteed them in some butter until they were translucent.
Cooking the pasta sheets and keeping them from sticking together was the most difficult part. I tried to rinse them under cold water and toss them in olive oil but some sticking is inevitable. Once my assembly line was complete I was ready to start layering. Layer after layer got a healthy dose of each ingredient along with some salt, pepper, and lemon zest. I felt like a little kid at a make-your-own sundae birthday party
. Once the 5th layer was assembled I topped the lasagna with a chopped cashew, Parmesan crust and threw it into a 350 degree oven. The smell of melting Taleggio was immediately filling my kitchen. While we were waiting for it to cool (which is torture), I opened a bottle of 2007 Sanguineto Rosso di Montelpulciano. This 100% Sangiovese comes from the heart of Tuscany. I would recognize the smell of a Tuscan red anywhere; with fresh cherries and herbs, this wine had an amazing nose. It was young but had soft tannins and was extremely fresh tasting with great acidity.
This light, Tuscan red was just what this Spring vegetable lasagna needed. Despite the asparagus and wine paradox, the bursting acidity was a great match for the earthy mushrooms and gooey cheese that was oozing from all four corners. I realized after three slices that the vegetarian factor doesn’t make this meal any less rich. I packed up the rest and was all set for a weeks worth of lunch leftovers.
