Lasagna with Artichokes and Mozzarella
Creamy cheesy Lasagna filled with sautèed artichoke hearts and melted mozzarella cheese. This is Italian style comfort food and one portion will not be enough!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 558kcal
Ingredients
For the Lasagna sheets
- ¾ cup Semolina Flour
- ¾ cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 Eggs
- a pinch of salt
For the Béchamel Sauce
- ½ cup Butter
- ½ cup Flour
- 4 cups Milk
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Ground Nutmeg
For the Filling
- 2-3 Mozzarella
- Parmigiano cheese grated
- Olive Oil
- 1 Shallot
- 10 Artichokes small elongated variety
- ¼ cup White Wine
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Instructions
Make the Pasta
- If you decide to make fresh pasta, mix the flours with the eggs and add a pinch of salt. Knead the dough until you get a firm and smooth ball. Cover in wrap and set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- While the pasta rests, clean properly the artichokes and cut into thin slices, then put them in a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice so they don't oxidate and turn brown.
- Now go back to the pasta and with a rolling pin or a pasta machine stretch the dough into a thin sheet and cut into large squares or rectangles (depending on your baking pan shape). Then set the pasta sheets on a clean towel to rest while you prepare the filling.
Make the Filling
- Drizzle a large pan with olive oil, then finely chop the shallot and fry until it starts to brown. Add the drained artichokes and fry at medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the glass of wine and let the alcohol evaporate, then cover the pan with the lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the artichokes become soft. If the pan is too dry, you can add some water until they finish to cook.
- While the artichokes cook, you can prepare the béchamel sauce. Warm up the milk in the microwave or in the stove (do not bring it to boil, it just needs to be warm), keep it warm while in a large pan you melt the butter at low heat and add the flour. Then mix quickly with a whisk so the flour doesn't make lumps. When they are fully blended into a creamy mixture, slowly add the milk and keep whisking until the butter and flour mixture melt into the milk.
- When you've added all the milk, keep mixing at low heat until the béchamel starts to boil and it will quickly become a creamy sauce. When you see that it's dense enough, turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
- Start with a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom of the baking pan, then add a layer of pasta sheets, the artichokes, the mozzarella, then cover with another layer of béchamel sauce, sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese and then repeat again from the beginning until you fill up the whole baking pan (you should make at least 4-5 layers). In the last layer, finish with the béchamel and a thick layer of Parmigiano cheese so you will get a nice crispy crust.
- Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C (350°F) or until the top will be golden brown. Serve hot.
Notes
You can also skip the fresh pasta and used either dried lasagna sheets or packaged fresh lasagna sheets. Follow the same cooking instructions as in the recipe.
Storage Tip: You can keep the Lasagna in the fridge for 1 day in an airtight container or you can freeze it. Let itdefrost in the fridge through the night and then warm up in the oven so the crust will become crispy again.
Nutrition
Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 11g
