and BoY am I glad I did!
The challenge in this recipe was making the lasagna noodles. My new Mattarello and Rolling board worked out perfectly.
My lasagna noodles were thin and fresh. Marcella says "the only pasta suitable for lasagne is paper thin dough, freshly made at home."Ok, so mine were'nt paper thin... but close.
The base of this lasagna is a bechamel sauce made with butter, flour, and milk. I did use frozen artichokes (because if not I'da had $30 just in Artichokes!)
I also used my special Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese... I hand carried it back from Italy. (which reminds me of another post I have to catch up on!!)
I also used my special Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese... I hand carried it back from Italy. (which reminds me of another post I have to catch up on!!)The lasagna is layered~ Marcella says no fewer than 6 layers. Start with the bechamel, pasta, artichokes with bechamel, grated cheese, then pasta. End with a layer of pasta, topped with a thin layer of bechamel and cheese. I didn't get to 6 layers before I ran out of room.
The interesting thing to me is that this lasagna only bakes for 10-15 minutes, until a crust develops on the top.
This lasagna is so rich and flavorful that even a small piece is more than plenty.
This maybe one of my FaVoriTe dishes so far in our daily journey through Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. Stay tuned for many more.
Ciao Y'all~
Sandi