Mama Rossi's White Lasagna Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 TBS butter

4 TBS all purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups chicken stock

14 oz San Marzano whole tomatoes

1 large sprig of basil, plus 1 cup basil coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

Lasagna Noodles (enough for 4 layers)

12 oz pesto

1x 16 oz jar Roasted Yellow Pepper, Divina is a nice brand, sliced ¼” lengthwise

1x 16 oz jar Roasted Red Pepper, Divina is a nice brand, sliced ¼” lengthwise

1 ½ lb sweet Italian sausage

½ lb spicy Italian sausage

20 oz +/- fresh mozzarella (2x 8” mozzarella logs)

5 large portabella mushroom caps, stemmed and gills removed and sliced into ½” wide strips

4 small to medium zucchini, ends removed and sliced ⅛” thin lengthwise

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 375*F. Gently oil a 9”x 13” heavy baker with extra virgin olive oil.

For the Bechamel:

In a medium pot, melt 4 TBS butter. Slowly whisk in 4 TBS flour and cook on medium low heat for about 30 seconds, stirring the butter flour clump constantly. Slowly add about ½ cup of milk and vigorously whisk to eliminate any clumps of flour butter mixture.  Gently add remaining milk.  Begin adding stock, whisking continuously and reserving about ½ cup to adjust the consistency at the end. Cook and stir for about 8 minutes or until the mixture is velvety smooth and about the thickness of melted chocolate sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the Red Sauce:

In a sauté pan, add 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil and bring the heat to medium high. Add the smashed cloves of garlic and large sprig of basil to infuse in oil. Add the entire can or jar of San Marzano tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low. Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

Lasagna Sheets:

No boil lasagna is fine. Otherwise, prepare lasagna according to package instructions.

For the Sausage:

Remove sausage from casing. Form small dense patties with 2 TBS of sweet Italian sausage. Form small 1 TBS drops of spicy Italian sausage. Do not pre cook.

LAYER 1:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 ladle of bechamel

1st Pasta layer

¼ cup pesto, spread evenly with a basting brush

Yellow pepper strips

⅓ sweet Italian sausage patties 

⅓ spicy Italian sausage balls 

¼ mozzarella medallions

1 cup bechamel, drizzled evenly

1/4 chopped basil

LAYER 2:

2nd Pasta Layer

¼ cup pesto, spread evenly with a basting brush

Red pepper strips

⅓ sweet Italian sausage patties

⅓ spicy Italian sausage balls

Zucchini

¼ mozzarella medallions

1 cup bechamel, drizzled evenly

¼ chopped basil

LAYER 3:

3rd Pasta Layer

¼ cup pesto, spread evenly with a basting brush

Mushrooms

⅓ (remaining) sweet Italian sausage

⅓ (remaining) spicy Italian sausage

¼ mozzarella medallions

1 cup bechamel, drizzled evenly

¼ chopped basil

LAYER 4:

4th Pasta Layer

1 cup bechamel, drizzled evenly

1-2 cups San Marzano red sauce

¼ (remaining) mozzarella medallions

Remaining basil

Cover tightly in foil and place baker on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 375* for 1 ½ hours or until internal temperature reaches 165* F.  Remove foil for the final 20 minutes in the oven for nice color on the top of the lasagna.

Allow the lasagna to rest for 30 minutes before slicing to serve.

Watch the full episode below to watch Anna prepare this Italian masterpiece.