Recipe of the Week: White Lasagna with Fontina Cheese, Mushrooms and Butternut Squash
I first had this dish on a visit to Lago Maggiore in the beautiful Soave region of Italy. I enjoyed it so much that they shared their recipe with me. It is a very light and delicate lasagna dish. Serves 12. (Chef tip: You can roast the butternut squash at 350 degrees for 20 minutes to make it easier to cut.)
Butter for greasing pan
DOUGH:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
FILLING:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound baby Portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound fontina cheese, shredded
BESCIAMELLA SAUCE:
2 cups whole milk
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
To make the dough, place the flour on a wooden board and form into a mound. Make a deep well in the center and break the eggs into it. Add wine and salt. Use a fork to break up the eggs and mix contents of the well. Slowly add flour, beginning at the top of the well so the walls collapse and blend into the mixture. When the flour is almost totally absorbed, begin kneading, pressing with the palms of hands. Knead dough for about 20 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. (If dough is dry, add a few drops of water. If sticky, add a sprinkle of flour.) To test for doneness, punch the dough with an index finger. If it springs back, it is done. Gather the dough into ball, place in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
Let rest for 30 minutes.
If using a pasta machine, break the dough into lemon-size pieces and feed the pieces into the machine. Otherwise, roll dough into a long sheet.
To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. Cook the squash, mushrooms and garlic over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
To make the sauce, heat milk in a saucepan until hot. While milk is heating, melt butter in a separate saucepan. Whisk in flour and salt. While whisking, add the warm milk, a little at a time. Cook sauce for 10 minutes under low heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and blend in cheese and nutmeg. Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and pasta and boil for two to three minutes. Drain and place pasta on a lint-free kitchen towel; pat dry.
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom of 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add one-third of the pasta, evenly covering surface. Spread half the filling, fontina cheese and sauce on top of pasta. Add another third of pasta, and the rest of the filling, fontina, and sauce. Add remaining pasta and reserved sauce.
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and let top brown for five minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.