GREEN HOLIDAY SWEATERS RECIPES

Steps:

• For the pesto (if making), preheat the oven to 425°F
• Cut off the top of the head of garlic and place on a piece of foil
• Drizzle the 2 tablespoons olive oil over the exposed cloves and season with salt and pepper
• Wrap tightly and roast until brown and caramelized, 40 to 45 minutes
• Let cool
• When the garlic is ready, lightly pulse the pistachios in a food processor
• Squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves, add the basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano and season with salt and pepper, then process while slowly adding the ½ cup olive oil until smooth
• Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and reserve
• Makes 2 cups
• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• For the bechamel, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat
• Add the flour and whisk until it begins to smell nutty and fragrant, about 1 minute
• Slowly stream in the milk while whisking so that no lumps form and the mixture remains smooth
• Season with nutmeg
• Once the bechamel sauce comes to a low bubble, continue to cook and let thicken for 5 to 6 minutes, whisking often
• Remove from heat, whisk in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and reserve
• For the ricotta mixture, add the ricotta and egg to the bowl of pesto and stir to combine
• Reserve
• To assemble the lasagna, evenly spread 1 cup of the bechamel sauce in the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch pan (I prefer a disposable aluminum pan for easy clean up!)
• Top with 4 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/3 of the spinach, 1/3 of the cooked sausage and 1 cup of the bechamel
• Repeat, starting with 4 lasagna noodles and ending with 1 cup of the bechamel
• To finish, top with 4 lasagna noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the remaining spinach, remaining sausage and remaining 4 lasagna noodles
• Top the noodles with the remaining bechamel and mozzarella cheese
• Tightly cover the lasagna in aluminum foil and place on a large baking sheet
• Bake until hot in the middle, 55 to 60 minutes
• Remove the foil and bake until bubbly and browned on top, 15 to 20 minutes more
• Allow lasagna to set for 15 minutes before cutting into it
• Garnish with parsley and serve