BAREFOOT CONTESSA VEGETARIAN LASAGNA RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1½ teaspoons of the salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 25-30 minutes, until thickened and tomatoes have reached desired taste.
• Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
• Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of Parmesan.
• Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 T salt and a splash of oil.
• Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; drain and set aside.
• For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan; set aside.
• Melt 8 T (1 stick) of the butter in large saucepan.
• Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
• Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once.
• Add 1 T salt, the pepper and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3-5 minutes, until thick.
• Set aside off the heat.
• Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems.
• Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick.
• Heat 2 T of oil and 2 T of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan.
• When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices.
• If they become too dry, add a little more oil.
• Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly.
• Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.
• To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8x12x2-inch baking dish.
• Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then one-third of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
• Repeat two more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms and Parmesan.
• Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
• Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly and hot.
• Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.