Mushroom Lasagna Bolognese Recipes

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Make the ragu: Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 cups hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid.
• Finely chop the porcini and white mushrooms in a food processor; transfer to a bowl. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, parsley and prosciutto to the processor; pulse until finely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook the ground beef and pork in batches, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Add the wine to the pot, scraping up the browned bits. Add the liquid to the bowl with the meat.
• Melt the butter in the pot; add the onion, chopped carrot mixture, the rosemary, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 8 minutes.
• Return the meat mixture to the pot. Add the cognac and scrape up the browned bits. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Crush the tomatoes with your hands over the pot and add with their juices. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 hours, 30 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the bechamel: Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, whisking, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking, 10 more minutes.
• Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a few inches of salted water to a boil in a wide saucepan. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Line a baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel. Working in batches, boil the pasta until partially cooked, about 4 minutes, then remove with a skimmer and transfer to the ice water to cool. Remove the pasta sheets, shake off the excess water and arrange in a single layer on the towel. Cover the pasta with another damp towel.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a deep 11-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter. Spread 1/2 cup ragu in the pan. Cover with a layer of pasta, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup parmesan and 2/3 cup mozzarella. Spread 1 1/2 cups ragu over the cheese and top with 1 cup bechamel. Repeat with 3 more layers each of pasta, parmesan, mozzarella, ragu and bechamel. Top with a layer of pasta, then cover with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Tuck the edges of the pasta into the baking dish with a knife.
• Place the lasagna on a baking sheet to catch any drips; bake until bubbly and golden, about 40 minutes. Let rest 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and save the liquid. Rinse the porcini and chop them.
• Meanwhile, working in batches if needed, combine the cremini mushrooms, button mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms.
• Heat enough oil to generously cover the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, rosemary, oregano, tomato paste and red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• Add the wine, soy sauce and the porcinis and their soaking water to the pot. Cook until the wine evaporates, then add the diced tomatoes. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is deep red in color, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Keep the pasta warm if the sauce is still cooking.
• Add the pasta and pasta water to the pot with the sauce and toss to combine. Divide among plates or bowls and sprinkle with nutritional yeast if using and basil. Serve and enjoy!

MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup and pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful juices. If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Then rinse the mushrooms, away from the bowl with the soaking liquid, until they are free of sand. Squeeze dry and set aside. Chop coarsely. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the shallots or onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and to sweat, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, 5 to 10 minutes. Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.
• Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw-flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Strain while hot into the pan with the mushrooms.
• Assemble the lasagna. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil or butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add 3 or 4 lasagna noodles, just the number you need for one layer. Cook only until flexible, and using tongs or a skimmer, remove from the pan and set on a kitchen towel to drain. Spoon a thin layer of béchamel and mushrooms over the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread a ladleful of the mushroom/béchamel mixture over the noodles and top with a layer of Parmesan. Cook the next layer of noodles and continue to repeat the layers (I get three layers in my pan), ending with a layer of the mushroom/béchamel mixture topped with Parmesan. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and if you want the edges of the noodles crispy and the top lightly browned, continue to bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook and stir the mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add the parsley, prosciutto, garlic and Italian seasoning; cook 2 minutes longer. Add wine; cook and stir until liquid is evaporated. Add tomatoes and heat through., Spread 1 cup sauce in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles, 1-1/3 cups sauce, and a scant 1/4 cup each of mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat layers twice. In a small bowl, combine the cream, milk and remaining cheeses; spoon over the top., Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

MUSHROOM LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• 1 For the mushroom filling: Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a large bowl; add the boiling water and the soy and Worcestershire sauces
• 2 Set aside
• 3 Combine the portobello and shiitake mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor
• 4 Pulse until finely chopped
• 5 Transfer to a separate large bowl and add the sliced cremini mushrooms
• 6 Melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan
• 7 Meanwhile, combine the carrots, onion and celery in the bowl of a food processor; pulse (about 20 times) until they are just finely chopped (but have not released a great amount of liquid), then add to the saucepan
• 8 Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes; do not let the vegetables brown
• 9 Season with salt and pepper and stir to mix well
• 10 Add the chopped garlic and the portobello-shiitake-cremini mushroom mixture to the vegetables
• 11 Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed
• 12 Add the tomato paste and milk, stirring to mix well, and cook for 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed
• 13 Add the wine and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; it will be absorbed
• 14 Use a slotted spoon to remove the reconstituted porcini mushrooms from their soaking liquid; reserve the liquid
• 15 Rinse the mushrooms to remove any grit, then coarsely chop them and add to the saucepan
• 16 Strain the mushrooms' soaking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or several layers of cheesecloth, then add it to the saucepan
• 17 Add the diced tomatoes and their juice, the bouquet garni and sugar
• 18 Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the filling is a deep
• 19 rich brown and very thick
• 20 Use strips of paper towel from time to time to skim off any fat that rises to the surface of the mixture
• 21 Discard the bouquet garni when the filling is done
• 22 For the bechamel sauce (which can be done while the filling is cooking): Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat
• 23 Add the flour and whisk it with the butter for several seconds to form a roux
• 24 Add the milk gradually, whisking constantly to ensure that no lumps form
• 25 Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg; cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and can coat the back of a spoon
• 26 Remove from the heat and whisk in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 27 Set aside
• 28 To assemble: Use nonstick cooking oil spray to lightly grease the inside of a 9-by-13-inch lasagna pan, preferably one with deep sides
• 29 Spread a thin layer of mushroom filling in the bottom of the pan
• 30 Arrange 4 lasagna sheets on the filling side by side; do not overlap
• 31 Spread a thin layer of filling over the noodles
• 32 Drizzle about 1/2 cup of the bechamel sauce over the mushroom filling
• 33 Build more layers in the same order -- noodles, mushroom filling, bechamel sauce -- to create as many as 7 layers
• 34 (All of the pasta can be used
• 35 There may be some mushroom filling left over; reserve for another use
• 36 ) Spread the remaining sauce on top of the lasagna so that the mushroom filling is completely covered
• 37 Sprinkle the top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 38 At this point, the lasagna can be wrapped well and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days, or wrapped well and frozen for up to 2 months (thaw completely before baking, or adjust baking times as needed)
• 39 When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• 40 Bake the lasagna, unwrapped, for about 1 hour or until it is golden brown and bubbling
• 41 Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving

PERFECT LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until browned, about 8 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in beef and pork. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Pour white wine into the Dutch oven; cook until alcohol evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer Bolognese sauce, stirring occasionally and skimming fat off the surface, about 3 1/2 hours. Stir in beef broth, 1/4 cup at a time, if sauce looks dry.
• Stir heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk into the Bolognese sauce; mix well. Cover and cook over very low heat until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.
• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until a smooth paste forms; cook and stir until paste turns a golden sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk 4 cups milk into the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaf. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally until bechamel sauce is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and nutmeg; discard bay leaf.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Spread 1/4 cup bechamel sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with 1 lasagna sheet; prick in several places with a paring knife. Spread 1/2 cup bechamel sauce and 1/2 cup Bolognese sauce on top. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top.
• Repeat layers 7 times with remaining lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, Bolognese sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Cover lasagna with aluminum foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake lasagna in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until cheese is browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool before serving, about 15 minutes.

MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook 9 lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• While the noodles are cooking, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add both mushrooms and onion; cook and stir until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add parsley, prosciutto, garlic, and Italian seasoning; cook for 2 minutes longer. Add wine; cook and stir until liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Spread sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer with 3 noodles, 1 1/3 cups sauce, and a scant amount of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with the next 2 layers.
• Combine cream, milk, and remaining mozzarella and Parmesan in a small bowl. Spoon over lasagna.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.