Herb Garden Lasagna
This dish is the thing I bring to every friend or family member when they have a new baby. It is so incredibly delicious, lighter and fresher tasting that most, and while there are a few steps, it's very easy to prepare.
Adapted from The Herbal Kitchen
One 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
One 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup AP flour (or brown rice flour for GF)
3 cups whole milk
1 lb whole milk ricotta
4 oz basil, stems removed (about 2 cups, lightly packed)
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, gently packed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz no boil lasagna noodles (Barilla or Jovial GF)
8 oz whole milk mozzarella, shredded
Kosher salt
.
1. Add tomatoes to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until they thicken slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped oregano and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook the roux for about a minute. Pour in the cold milk all at once. Whisk until all the lumps disappear, then occasionally until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.
3. In a food processor, blend the ricotta with about 1 cup of the white sauce until smooth. Scrape the cheese out into a bowl.
4. Without washing the food processor, pulse the basil, parsley, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Add the remaining white sauce and the Parmesan and process until well combined.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles on top of the sauce. They should not touch each other or the sides of the pan.
7. Dab half of the basil sauce over the noodles. Spread the filling just over the noodles rather than worrying about the gaps between and around the noodles.
8. Top the basil sauce with three more noodles in the same position.
9. Distribute the entire amount of ricotta by scooping it in spoonfuls onto the top noodles and spreading a bit, pressing down as little as possible.
10. Top with three more noodles, then the remaining tomato sauce.
11. Finally, put the last three noodles in place and spread the top with the remaining basil sauce.
12. Cover dish with aluminum foil, tenting it a bit so it doesn't touch the lasagna, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cheese is evenly browned. Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before serving; it will firm up as it sits.
*The lasagna can be assembled ahead and kept refrigerated until you are ready to bake (allow an extra 10 minutes in the oven under the foil), or bake ahead of time and reheat in a 350°F oven.