Lasagna al Pesto
Fresh, herby, and filled with creamy cheeses and perfectly baked pasta sheets.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 9 – 12 lasagna sheets
- 1 ¼ cup homemade or store-bought basil pesto
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
For the béchamel:
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 ½ cups warm milk
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
How To Make Lasagna al Pesto
- Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in flour and cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in warm milk.
- Stir constantly until it thickens (8–10 minutes).
- Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in the pesto until fully blended.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- In a bowl, combine ricotta with the egg, a pinch of salt, and 2–3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.
- Mix well.
- Spread a thin layer of pesto-béchamel on the bottom.
- Add a layer of lasagna noodles.
- Spread a few spoonsful of ricotta mixture over the lasagna sheets.
- Add a layer of pesto-béchamel, a bit of mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
- Repeat layers, then finish with a top layer of lasagna sheets, sauce, and a final sprinkle of Parmesan and mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
- Rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing.