Béchamel is a simple white sauce with a roux (flour and butter) base, whipped with milk, half-and-half, or light cream. Flavor enhancers often include ground nutmeg, a little lemon zest, fresh or dried herbs, or cheese, like in this recipe.
Shredded pepperjack may not be a common cheese to use in béchamel, but it adds a savory, spicy kick to the smooth and creamy sauce and tops this vegetarian lasagna with a silky texture and rich cheesy flavor.
Roasting the butternut squash, mushrooms, and scallions before mixing them into the filling brings out their deep, earthy flavors, and it’s a simple process that doesn’t take a lot of time. Toss them with a little oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes. That’s all about it.
Advice: To cut the squash into 1/4-inch half-moon slices, first cut the long end off the base of the bulb, then peel; cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into slices; Remove the seeds if you use the end of the bulb.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
for the lasagna
- 1 large butternut squash, 2-1/2 to 3 pounds, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch half-moon slices
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced thin
- 5 scallions, white and green parts separated; green parts chopped and reserved
- olive oil, for drizzling and greasing the baking dish
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Italian dried herb mix, for garnish
for the béchamel
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 pint half and half
- 3/4 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
for the lasagna
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a large, shallow baking dish with parchment paper.
- Place sliced squash, mushrooms, and white parts of chives in skillet and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss or toss to coat. Grill 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Let the vegetables cool for 10 minutes, then place the scallions on a cutting board and chop.
- In a large bowl, combine the squash, mushrooms, reserved white and green parts of the scallion, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Gently stir to combine, trying not to break the squash into small pieces.
- Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water for 8-9 minutes, until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
for the béchamel
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the flour and continue beating until just incorporated, 3 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high and gradually add half and half, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Stir in pepperjack cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to low.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly (it should coat the back of a spoon), 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
To Assemble and Bake
- Lightly grease a 13 X 9-inch baking dish and place 4 lasagna noodles on bottom, slightly overlapping. Spread half of the nut mixture over the noodles.
- Pour 1/3 of the béchamel over the top, smoothing as much as possible. Repeat the layer with 4 more noodles, the rest of the nut mixture, and 1/3 of the sauce.
- Finish the dish with 4 noodles and spread the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top and sprinkle with dried herbs.
- Bake uncovered until bubbly and starting to brown on top, 35-40 minutes.
Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.