White Lasagna Recipe with Chantrelle and Crimini Mushrooms

I wanted to make a special meal one evening and was thinking that homemade lasagna would be warm and filling. My husband and I brainstormed about how we could put an original spin on our standby spinach lasagna. After throwing some ideas around, Morgan came up with a brilliant idea, something entirely new and different--a wild mushroom lasagna that used the sweet flavor of chanterelles and marsala glazed onions with cinnamon, walnuts, and a mild balsamella (white sauce) instead of marinara. The whole thing was set-off with some grated asiago for its salty and savory flavor. The end result was incredible--unlike anything I'd ever tasted. I am in love with this dish.

White Lasagna Recipe with Chantrelle and Crimini Mushrooms

serves at least 8

Filling:

• 1 ounce dried chanterelle mushrooms, Soaked
• 2 cups quartered fresh crimini mushrooms
• 2 large onions
• 1 cup crushed walnuts
• 1 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup marsala
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Other Components:

• balsamella (there is a good recipe here)
• 1lb ricotta
• asiago, finely grated
• mozzarella, grated
• lasagna pasta (12 noodles)

Note: We liked the crunchy texture of the walnuts in this dish, but if you are not a fan of nuts in your food, then make sure you crush the walnuts finely (this would most easily be done with a coffee grinder or food processor).

For the filling:

1. Soak the dried chanterelle mushrooms until they are tender; wash, dry, and quarter the crimini mushrooms; chop the onion; and crush the walnuts. Grate the mozzarella and asiago cheese.

2. Place the onion into a large frying pan or skillet with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once the onions begin to turn translucent and the pan is good and hot, add the marsala and stir until most of the moisture has evaporated. Add the mushrooms, walnuts, and spices and continue cooking just until the mushrooms are tender. The onions should be soft, brown, and well caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

Other components:

3. Meanwhile, boil about 12 lasagna noodles. You will only need 9 or so, but it's always good to have extra in case they break up.

4. Make the balsamella. We used the recipe found here. Allow a lot of time for this step! Making the balsamella took me about 20 minutes.

5. In a greased 9x13 baking dish, lay out a layer of pasta (three long noodles). On top of the pasta, spread the mushroom mixture. You want to use about a third of the mixture, since the lasagna will have three layers. Pour enough balsamella to soak the top of the mushroom mixture. Spread ricotta over that. Continue by adding another layer of pasta, another third of mushroom mixture, balsamella, and ricotta. Do this for a third and last time. Over the top of the last layer, spread enough mozzarella to cover the ricotta and then sprinkle on asiago.

6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for about 45 minutes or until the cheese on top has melted and browned and the contents are bubbling.

That's it! It is a fairly involved recipe, but the end result was worth the effort. One of the unique bonuses of lasagna is that it only gets better when you're eating it leftover. This large pan fed us for several meals!