Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Marvelous Mushroom Lasagna


In my immediate family, we celebrate three birthdays in a little over the same number of weeks in early spring. Last weekend, we opted to celebrate all three at once due to busy schedules. The celebration dinner was held here.


I wanted to make something special but still enjoy my family's company that evening, so, for one of the dishes I prepared, I chose to make this spectacular mushroom lasagna which can be prepared in its entirety the day before.


I don't know about your family, but my family loves mushrooms! This lasagna dish is a little time-consuming to make but the effort is well worth it. I highly recommend utilizing the do-ahead portions of the recipe.


A savory medley of sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, onion, garlic and thyme is mixed with a creamy, Parmesan-infused roux using no-boil lasagna sheets which helps cut down on preparation time.


Elegant and delicious!

Marvelous Mushroom Lasagna

Adapted from Wild Mushroom Lasagne, Gourmet, 1999
Printable Recipe

Serves 6.

For mushroom filling:
3 cups water
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 cup) (I only used 1.5 ounces)
2 pounds fresh white mushrooms (I used a combination of white, baby portabella and shiitaki mushrooms - feel free to use your favorites)
2-3 zucchini (about 1 pound)
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons Sherry
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For sauce:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups whole milk
4 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Eighteen 7- by 3 1/2-inch sheets dry, no-boil lasagne (about 1 pound)
1/2 pound freshly grated mozzarella (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

My Notes: When sauteing the mushrooms, zucchini and onions, I used a combination of half butter and half olive oil to cut down on fat.


To make filling:

In a small saucepan bring water to a boil and remove pan from heat. Stir in porcini. Soak porcini 20 minutes. Lift out porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid.

In a sieve rinse porcini to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcini and transfer to a large bowl. Simmer reserved soaking liquid until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Pour liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into bowl with porcini.

Quarter white mushrooms and in a food processor pulse in 3 batches until finely chopped.

Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch dice. Chop onion and mince garlic. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook one third white mushrooms with 2 tablespoons Sherry, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and they begin to brown. Add mushroom mixture to porcini. Cook remaining mushrooms in 2 batches in butter with remaining Sherry in same manner and add to porcini mixture. In skillet cook zucchini in 1 tablespoon butter until tender and stir into porcini mixture. In skillet cook onion in remaining tablespoon butter, stirring, until softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir onion into mushroom mixture until combined. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.


To make sauce:

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour.

Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, mustard, and salt. Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter a 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish.

Assemble lasagna:

Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in baking dish and cover with 3 pasta sheets, making sure they don't touch each other.

Spread one third filling over pasta sheets in dish and top with 3 more pasta sheets, gently pressing down layers to remove air pockets. Top pasta sheets with one third mozzarella. Continue layering in same manner with sauce, pasta sheets, filling, and mozzarella, ending with mozzarella (dish will be filled to rim). Spread remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan. On a foil-lined large baking sheet bake lasagna in middle of oven until bubbling and golden, about 45 minutes. Let lasagna stand 20 minutes. Lasagna may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lasagna to room temperature and reheat before serving.

47 comments:

  1. I love mushrooms; that looks and sounds delicious, Susan!

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  2. Your lasagna looks great, and I love your Mariposa casarole dish!

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  3. Perfect for the mushroom lovers in your family! It really looks delicious. What a super idea to combine all the birthdays into one celebration. It must've been fun!

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  4. Susan, You have a great recipe there. Mushroom lovers here. Very nice..

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  5. I hope the party was a hit..so many birthdays:)

    The lasagna sounds delicious Susan..

    Again..all the best~

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  6. This dish is sooo appealing! I love
    mushrooms. Hey, the dish is also lovely.
    You make this dish look so easy to fix, but with me, it seems forever getting it done! Hope it is/was enjoyed!
    Luv-Loretta

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  7. Susan, your version of lasagna looks so enticing. I know I would like it and what a fun dish to serve it in. Joni

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  8. Sounds great Susan and looks BEAUTIFUL in that fun casserole-enjoy:@)

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  9. Susan, it looks delicious in your new casserole dish. What a nice idea to celebrate the family birthdays together.

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  10. Your lasagna does look spectacular! And what a lovely dish you won! So pretty. Happy Birthdays :)

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  11. We love mushrooms! Not to mention how healthy they are for you! You dish looks delicious, and I love that it's different. I LOVE your Mariposa! I'll have to tell my friend Susan At "From Beyond My Kitchen Window" ~ she collects Mariposa.

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  12. Both the lasagna and the lasagna pan are gorgeous!!!

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  13. I am such a mushroom fan, Susan. This is a great recipe and what I love about lasagna is it is even better made the day before. All you need do is heat and serve with a little salad and you can relax with your guests (and it's only fair to share it!). That dish really makes it shine... lovely win!

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  14. Totally with you here; the amount of work is worth it because the payoff comes when one sees how happy and content everybody is and appreciative of the effort in making such a dish; one to keep in mind for my next lasagne project.

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  15. We like mushrooms and this looks incredible.

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  16. This looks wonderful! I love those porcinis. So much flavor! And lasagna really is great for entertaining.

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  17. I love mushrooms and would find this dish so enjoyable! It is perfect for a dinner party.

    The serving dish is beautiful!

    ZHappy birthday to all who celebrated their special day!

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  18. We would love this lasagna. I think I should make it for Sunday dinner! Wow, that looks fantastic. My mouth is watering! Your pictures are always so great.

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  19. that sounds delicious Mary ! I love lasagna in any way....A warm hug...

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  20. I am a sucker for fungus dishes. This lasagna looks fabulous!

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  21. This looks delish Susan & it's beautiful in your casserole dish too! Perfect for own cold, rainy spring weather this week!

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  22. I reallu love this original casserole; nothing I like better that a make ahead meal and this one is perect. I am savineg this for my next gathering; thank you.
    Rita

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  23. Love a blooger that does no have word verification.
    Rita

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  24. BRAVA!!! This lasagna is WONDERFUL!!!! Have a great day, hugs, Flavia

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  25. I prepared Ina Garten's recipe of Mushroom Lasagna for a luncheon I had at my house not long ago. Everyone loved it and it was similar to your recipe but I love the addition of the zucchini in your recipe. I noticed a couple of other differences as well. I will definitely try this recipe since we do love muchrooms too. This sounds like a real keeper and your new serving dish is gorgeous, congratulations.

    Carolyn/A Southerners Notebook

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  26. My husband and I love mushrooms, the family not so much. But I would definately try this dish, it sounds so rich and delicious.
    I must give you praise for taking the time to post all the instructions. Thank YOU!

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  27. Oh Susan your Lasagna looks wonderful. Your pictures are awsome! What a great celebration you must have had:)

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  28. Mushroom lasagna?! Why haven't I thought of that?! YUMMY!

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  29. The casserole you won is just lovely! I am sure your family was delighted with that delicious lasagne!

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  30. Looks delicious! I love the fact that you can make it ahead. That gives you more time to enjoy your guests! :)

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  31. My mouth is watering looking at these photos! I looove mushrooms, adding them to a lasagna sounds fantastic. The zucchini is a nice addition, too :)

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  32. We're huge mushroom fans here too. On the rare occasion that I would have leftover sauteed mushrooms in the fridge, my kids would beg me let them eat them as a snack after school.

    This recipe looks absolutely "marvelous"... aptly renamed by you!! I can tell it's worth every minute it takes to prepare.

    Happy belated birthday to all. Have a great weekend.

    :)
    ButterYum

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  33. Oops, forgot to comment on your stunning photos. They're really great.

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  34. I wish I had the energy to pull out my old Gourmets because I'm fairly certain this is one of the recipes I made a note on "to make". It looks so delicious and I'm going to print out your recipe.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  35. This is definitely a dish fit for a celebration (or three)! All of those veggies in that gorgeous bechamel...oh so good.

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  36. Elegant dish and elegant presentation Susan, congratulations!

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  37. I LOVE that Mariposa dish... Might have to go on the wedding registry!

    And the lasagna looks absolutely amazing. Perfect way to get my fill of mushrooms :) Yum!

    Sues

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  38. This looks so delicious! I know that I will love this as mushrooms are my favourite and my family too! Thanks for sharing!

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  39. There is nothing better!! YUM

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  40. This looks incredible Susan! Definitely fit for a special birthday occasion. I am filing it away. The Mariposa dish is beautiful.

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  41. Love mushrumooms and this lasagna look delicious, gloria

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  42. I am just staring.....This is a wonderful and earthy flavored way to enjoy lasagna. I really like this recipe. I am bookmarking this one. Awesome.

    Velva

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  43. This looks like quite a delicious and elegant lasagna. Mushrooms and cheese go so well with each other, and my favorite type of lasagna is one that uses a white sauce like this one. This looks so good!

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  44. Once again, thank you all for taking the time to leave a comment! This lasagna was a hit with the family and the recipe has been requested again.

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  45. This is a brilliant recipe which I still enjoy eating. I always have a thing for lasagna. I love the cheese, the sauce and the overall taste. Thanks for sharing this. I'll definitely make this at home.

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  46. This looks great! Will definitely be trying it. Thanks for sharing!

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