Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce

Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This vegetable lasagna is brimming with asparagus and spinach, and layered with a savory basil cream sauce, six cheeses, and crispy pancetta!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition Info: 670 calories (per serving)

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Vegetable Lasagna Ingredients:

• 12 ounces asparagus (thinner spears), cut into bite sized pieces
• 8 ounces pancetta, small dice
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package instructions
• 4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves
• 2 ½ cups ricotta cheese
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 ¾ cups shredded Italian four-cheese blend
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons chopped or julienned basil, for garnish

Basil Cream Sauce Ingredients:

• 6 cups milk (I use 2%)
• 1 tablespoon all-natural, low-sodium chicken base (I like Better Than Bouillon organic base)
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 ounces unsalted butter
• 3 ounces all-purpose flour (about 6 tablespoons)
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¾ cup, packed, fresh basil leaves, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish

1. Begin by gathering and prepping your basil cream sauce ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the sauce, add the milk to a medium pot (about 4 quarts) set over medium heat. Add the chicken base, the garlic, the salt, the Italian seasoning and the black pepper to the milk, and whisk to incorporate. Allow the milk to slowly come to a light bubble/simmer to heat up, then turn off the heat.
3. In another medium-large pot (about 6 quart) set over medium-low heat, add the butter and allow it to melt. Once melted, add the flour and whisk together to create a “roux”, or thickener. Cook this roux for about 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the “raw” flour taste.
4. Then, slowly pour in the hot milk to this roux, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming.
5. Once all the milk has been added, whisk until you’re sure there are no lumps and the cream sauce is smooth. Allow the cream sauce to very gently simmer/bubble, uncovered, for about 5 to 10 minutes to thicken a bit, whisking it occasionally.
6. Turn the heat off under the cream sauce, and whisk in the Parmesan, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the chopped basil leaves, and stir well to incorporate. Check to see if additional salt is needed. Set the sauce aside.
7. Next, gather and prep all of your lasagna ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
8. To blanch the asparagus, bring a pot of well-salted water to the boil, then turn off the heat. Add the asparagus pieces and blanch for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.
9. Next, place a skillet over high heat and once hot, add the diced pancetta, and crisp as you would bacon, for a couple of minutes, until golden-brown. Set aside on a paper towel to drain.
10. Preheat your oven to 350°F, and prepare a large baking dish (about 4 to 5 quart size). Line a sheet pan with foil to place the assembled lasagna onto, to catch any potential drippings while it bakes.
11. To assemble the lasagna, evenly spread about 1 cup worth of the basil cream sauce on the bottom of the dish as a coating, and then add 4 of the cooked lasagna noodles over top of the sauce. Next, add 1 cup (roughly) of the basil cream sauce over the noodles, and spread out with the back of a spoon or a spatula to coat evenly.
12. Over top of the sauce, add 2 cups worth of the baby spinach leaves in a nice, even layer, and then 1 ¼ cups of the ricotta cheese, in small, even dollops over top. Then, evenly add ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of the Italian four-cheese blend, and then about half of your blanched, bite-size asparagus pieces and about ¼ cup of the crisp pancetta. Sprinkle on a pinch of the salt to give the vegetables a little extra flavor, being careful not to add too much.
13. Next, repeat the layering process by adding another 4 cooked lasagna noodles over this, and press down gently to compact it a little bit. Add another 1 cup (roughly) of the basil cream sauce and spread out evenly, and add the remaining 2 cups of the baby spinach leaves, evenly.
14. Add the remaining 1 ¼ cups of ricotta cheese in small, even dollops, then another ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of the Italian four-cheese blend, then the remainder of the asparagus pieces and another ¼ cup of the crisp pancetta (reserve about 1 tablespoon of pancetta for garnish). Again, a little pinch of salt over the vegetables.
15. Finally, add the 4 remaining cooked lasagna noodles over top, pressing down again to compact the lasagna, and add roughly 1 cup of the basil cream sauce, smoothing over evenly again, plus the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and remaining 1 ¼ cups Italian four-cheese blend evenly, and finish by sprinkling the teaspoon of Italian seasoning over the cheese.
16. Trim off any over-hanging pieces of lasagna noodles to create clean edges, and place the baking dish with the lasagna onto the foil-lined sheet pan and into the oven to bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and bubbly.
17. Remove from oven, allow the vegetable lasagna to cool for a few minutes before garnishing with the remaining crispy pancetta and optional basil leaves, and serve the lasagna with any remaining basil cream sauce to drizzle over top, if desired.