Description
If you adore mushrooms, this layered lasagna delivers: sheets of pasta tucked between savory mushroom duxelles, a silky Parmesan-laced béchamel, seasoned ricotta, and bubbling mozzarella on top. It’s perfect as a hearty vegetarian main or an impressive side.
Ingredients
Scale
Dried mushrooms
- Mixed dried mushrooms — 3 oz
- Boiling water — enough to cover (about 2–4 cups)
Mushroom mixture (duxelles)
- Fresh cremini or button mushrooms — 10 oz, quartered
- 1 large shallot, finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Olive oil — about 1 Tbsp (divided)
- Rehydrated dried mushrooms, drained and finely chopped (from above)
- Dry red wine (Beaujolais, Cabernet, or Côtes du Rhône) — ½ cup
- Reserved mushroom soaking liquid — ½ cup
- Fresh thyme, chopped — 1 tsp
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper — to taste
Parmesan béchamel
- Unsalted butter — 2 Tbsp
- All-purpose flour — 2 Tbsp
- Milk — 2 cups, warmed
- Kosher salt — ½ tsp
- Black pepper — ¼ tsp
- A pinch of grated nutmeg
Ricotta layer
- Ricotta cheese — 15 oz
- 1 large egg
- Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan — ¾ cup
- Fresh Italian parsley, chopped — ⅓ cup
- Kosher salt — ½ tsp
- Black pepper — ¼ tsp
To assemble
- Mushroom duxelles (prepared)
- Parmesan béchamel (prepared)
- Ricotta mixture (prepared)
- No-boil lasagna noodles — 6–8 sheets (or regular pre-cooked)
- Shredded mozzarella — 2 cups
Topping
- Additional shredded mozzarella — ½ cup
- Grated Pecorino or Parmesan — ¼ cup
Instructions
- Rehydrate the dried mushrooms
Place the dried fungi in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water so they’re submerged. Put a smaller plate or bowl on top to keep them under the surface and let them sit for about 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserve the soaking liquid through a fine sieve (discard any grit), and chop the rehydrated mushrooms roughly. Reserve that soaking liquid — it’s concentrated mushroom flavor. - Make the mushroom duxelles
Warm 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and let them cook, stirring now and then, until they begin to brown and release moisture — about 5–7 minutes. Add the minced shallot and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant. Add the rest of the oil plus the chopped rehydrated mushrooms; continue cooking until most of the released liquid has evaporated. Pour in the red wine and reduce until the alcohol has cooked off and the mushrooms are glossy. Stir in about ½ cup of the reserved mushroom liquid if needed, and reduce again so the mixture is concentrated. Finish with chopped thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Bold tip: cook the mushrooms until they stop steaming and begin to brown — that concentrates the flavor. - Prepare the Parmesan béchamel
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute to form a roux. Gradually whisk in warm milk, adding a little at a time and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. Bring the sauce to a simmer while stirring; once it thickens, cook for an additional minute. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg, then stir in a handful of grated Parmesan to enrich the sauce. Let cool slightly. - Mix the ricotta layer
In a bowl, combine ricotta with the egg, grated Pecorino/Parmesan, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and homogenous. - Assemble the lasagna
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spoon a thin layer of béchamel into the bottom of a 2-quart (or similarly sized) baking dish to prevent sticking. Lay down a layer of lasagna noodles, breaking them to fit if your pan isn’t rectangular. Spread about one-third of the remaining béchamel over the noodles. Cover with half of the mushroom duxelles, then spread half the ricotta mixture over the mushrooms. Scatter about one cup of shredded mozzarella over the ricotta. Repeat: noodles → béchamel → remaining mushrooms → remaining ricotta → mozzarella. Top with a final noodle layer and pour the rest of the béchamel over the top. Cover the dish with foil. - Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella and the Pecorino/Parmesan, and return to the oven uncovered for 10–15 minutes more, until the top is bubbling and golden. Let the casserole rest roughly 10 minutes before slicing so it sets up and serves cleanly. Bold tip: resting the lasagna before cutting helps it hold its layers.
Notes
- Quick troubleshooting & notes
- If you don’t have dried mushrooms on hand, use additional fresh mushrooms — just sauté longer to concentrate the flavor.
- For no-boil noodles, ensure the béchamel is sufficiently loose so the pasta can hydrate in the oven.
- Leftovers refrigerate well for several days and freeze beautifully when portioned and wrapped. Reheat covered in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Calories: 402kcal
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 794mg
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 98mg