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A savory vegetarian mushroom and pesto lasagna and thoughts on looking out for community in the midst of a crisis.
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Mushroom and Kale Pesto Lasagna
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
 
A savory vegetarian mushroom and kale pesto lasagna.
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pesto lasagna
Makes: 12 generous servings
Author: Elizabeth Stark
Ingredients
Pesto
  • 1 bunch kale (I like Lacinato or dinosaur kale), woody stems removed (about 7 - 8 ounces with stems)
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and chopped
  • 1/2 cup raw, hulled pepitas
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Cheese Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan (3 ounces)
Ricotta
  • 1 15- ounce tub whole milk ricotta
  • 2 large eggs
Mushrooms
  • 2 pounds mushrooms, rinsed or brushed clean (I used a mix of shiitake and porcini)
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper
To Assemble
  • 1 pound lasagna noodles
  • Sea salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella (4 ounces)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan (3 ounces)
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Pesto

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine kale, garlic, pepitas, and sea salt until reduced and crumbly. With processor running, drizzle olive oil through the feed tube.

Cheese Sauce
  1. Set a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add butter; when melted, whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in the milk over the course of 5 minutes, allowing mixture to thicken up before adding more. Once all the milk is added, cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes longer. Add Parmesan, stir until smooth, and set aside.
Mushrooms
  1. Brush clean or rinse mushrooms. Remove stems and slice 1/2-inch thick.
  2. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms. Set a 9-inch skillet over medium/medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, add 1/4 of the mushrooms and a pinch of red pepper flakes, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. With one minute of cook time left, add 1/4 of the garlic and sauté. Scrape into a bowl and repeat process until all of the mushrooms and garlic have been sautéed.
Ricotta
  1. In a small mixing bowl, stir to combine ricotta and eggs.
To Assemble
  1. In a large pot of rapidly boiling, generously salted water, cook lasagna noodles about 4 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoons olive oil.
  2. Set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom. Place a layer of 4 lasagna noodles on the bottom. Spread with half the ricotta mixture and half the mushrooms. Add another layer of noodles and spoon half the cheese sauce over top. Dollop half the pesto all around, lightly swirl into the cheese sauce, and top with shredded mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles and top with the remaining ricotta and mushrooms. Add the final layer of noodles, top with remaining cheese sauce, remaining pesto, and top with shredded Parmesan.
  3. Bake 30 - 35 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown. If the top gets too brown, place a loose sheet of foil over top.
  4. Cook 10 minutes, then slice, and serve with a big green salad.
To Reheat or Make Ahead
  1. Lasagna can be prepped up to two days ahead, refrigerated, and then baked. Take care to use the right baking dish – enamelware does best going from fridge to oven. You can also set a ceramic dish out for 30 minutes before baking. 

To reheat cooked lasagna, cover with lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees F about 30 minutes, or until heated through.