Family lunch, dinner party with friends, Sunday treat, this is a meal that gathers everyone around the table – Lasagne ai carciofi. We chose to combine beautiful artichokes with one of the iconic dishes of Italian kitchen, creating a heavenly vegetarian lasagna. Put on your favorite tunes, tie your apron, and get cooking – it is gonna be good!
All you need for 4 portions:
1,5kg fresh artichokes
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
Fresh parsley
A glass of white wine
A glass of water
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Bechamel sauce:
50g butter
50g flour
5dl milk
1 tea spoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
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250g mozzarella
About 50g parmesan
Black truffle (optional)
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200g fresh (or dried) lasagna plates – see the recipe here:
How to:
– Start by cleaning the artichokes. Pour cold water in a bowl and squeeze the juice of a lemon inside to prevent the cleaned artichokes turning dark. Remove few layers of the artichoke leaves until you feel the green and soft inside. Remove the top of the artichoke, cut in half and place in the water. Repeat this to all of the artichokes.
– If you prepare fresh pasta yourself, prepare the dough now and let it rest while you prepare the next steps.
– Smash and chop the garlic clove. Pour some olive oil in a pan and throw in the garlic.
– Squeeze the water from the artichokes and add them in the pan to fry for few minutes.
– Pour in the white wine on high heat, and let the alcohol evaporate for a few seconds before adding in a glass of water.
– Lower the temperature, add the parsley and let the artichokes cook slowly for about 20 minutes.
– Start preparing the bechamel sauce by melting the butter on a pan on low temperature.
– Add the flour and wisp to a nice cream.
– Pour in milk gradually little by little, mixing the sauce at the same time so that you don’t get lumps.
– Let the sauce thicken slowly and add nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
– Grate the parmesan and drain the mozzarella meanwhile you wait the bechamel to thicken.
– When the sauce becomes nice and creamy it is ready and you can remove the pan from the heat.
– Check up on the artichokes and taste the sauce. Add salt if needed. Remove form the heat when they are nice and soft.
– Put on the oven to heat up 225 degrees.
– If you prepare fresh pasta you can now form it with a rolling pin or the pasta machine to lasagna plates.
– Start building the lasagna.
– Cover the bottom of the oven form with bechamel sauce neatly so that the pasta won’t stick to the form.
– Add the pasta plates and press softly so that the sauce gets all around.
– Add one third of all ingredients – artichoke sauce, grated truffle if you have it, parmesan and mozzarella.
– Start the second layer by adding the pasta first then one third of all ingredients.
– Add the third and final layer of pasta, artichoke, truffle, parmesan and mozzarella.
– Cover the oven form with aluminium foil and place in the middle of the oven in 225 degrees for 20 minutes.
– After 20 minutes remove the aluminium and let the lasagna stay in the oven for another 20 minutes giving it the nice and crispy top.
– Let the lasagna cool down before serving – it will be divine!
Buon appetito!