Friday, June 4, 2010

lasagna with asparagus, leeks and morels


Okay. I could've eaten all of this myself. This is officially my new favorite recipe. It's from the April issue of Bon Appetit, but I just now got around to making it. Succulent. That's all I have to say.


2 Tbsp butter, divided
2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin
1 pound thick asparagus spears, cut on diagonal into 1 inch pieces
4 oz fresh morel mushrooms, rinsed, coarsely chopped, or 5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (use the fresh, it makes a difference)
3 1/2 cups low salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (I love this part)
non stick oil spray
1 9 oz pkg no-cook lasagna noodles
1 1/4 cups (about) finely grated Parmesan cheese

Saute leeks in large, heavy skillet in 1 Tbsp butter, transfer to bowl. Add remaining 1 Tbsp butter and saute just until tender-crisp asparagus, mushrooms and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add to the bowl with the leeks and toss. Add broth, cream and bay leaf to the same skillet and heat for about 6 minutes until slightly thickened. Sprinkle flour over and whisk to blend. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350. Coat four 2 cup shallow oval or round banking dishes with nonstick spray. Break corners from noodles to fit. Spoon 1/4 cup sauce into each dish, place one noodle in each, then 1/4 vegetable mix, 2 Tbsp sauce over, and rounded Tbsp cheese. Repeat two more times. Cover tightly with foil, bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes or until thick and lightly browned. Let stand at room time 5-10 minutes before serving.

Note: Next time I make this, I will make a roux with the butter and flour in the skillet before adding the broth and cream. I think it would work well baked in one medium pan, as well.

50 comments:

  1. Oh I am drooling!
    this one I will make!

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  2. Right now I am eternally grateful to whoever it was that came up with gluten-free noodles. I will be making this over the weekend. Drooling over here just like Suz.

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  3. I would LOVE to make that! If only I wasn't the only one in the house that loved mushrooms!
    But you did say you could eat it all yourself... hmmm...

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  4. That does look good! I recognize the dish. I'm pretty sure I'm making one last trip to Poland for pottery before leaving Germany. Wanna come with me? :-)

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  5. It does sound succulent. I love mushrooms and have been looking for a new recipe. Thanks for sharing this one.

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  6. The Mister would love this...all of his favorites in one pan!

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  7. Oh, this looks and sounds delicious. And as with Betsy, a lot of my husband's favourites.
    Friday night for sure!

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  8. Living in Germany, yes!! I DO want to go to Poland with you to shop for Boleslawiec pottery!! I'm so envious.

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  9. Yum~

    What a great recipe to use all the in-season vegies that will be here soon too.

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  10. This will definitely be on the menu next week! Thanks, Willow.

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  11. I could fall in love with this dish. Came here as soon as I saw the post title come up. Wow!

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  12. Oh my--& I do love lasagna; this looks fantastic!

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  13. looks complicated...as i'm doing all the cooking for a few weeks, i'll stick with chili mac...and hot dogs

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  14. And you just had to show a mouth watering picture and now I want some. I can understand why it is a favorite recipe of yours.

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  15. I swore that I was going to begin a diet...but, now, this is the second consecutive post I've read with a most tempting recipe. I wish I didn't love food so much! Tomorrow I have to go to CPMC for an echocardiogram and bilateral venous ultrasounds and, the 10th, I have a consult with a vascular surgeon. I've been having such edema in both lower legs, they need to rule out venous insufficiency or clots....so I am, suddenly, more motivated to get some weight off....too little, too late.

    Oh, that lasagna looks wonderful...perhaps, a bite???



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  16. This looks good enough to displace my meat lasagna. Yes.

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  17. That's chicken broth right? As in stock? "Low salt chicken brother" had me a bit confused there in the ingredients, but thought it must be some U.S product/brand, because obviously a chicken brother would be a rooster.Just being silly here...and confused.Obviously everyone else has it worked out.I guess in Oz we would say chicken stock cube, or chicken stock.I'm definitely going to attempt this. Any roosters can walk away from the chopping block unperturbed.

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  18. Yes dear Willow, I'm with Pam. I was wondering what the Aussie equivalent of 'Low-Fat Chicken Brother' was too! As I only have a sister, I was hoping that if I substitute her the Lasagne will still taste the same!!!
    Millie ^_^

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  19. Oh, teehee!! What do you mean, Pam? You've never heard of chicken brother?! I typed this up quite late last night and didn't catch that silly typo. Yes, it's the same as chicken stock.

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  20. I'm still laughing. I rather like chicken brother!!

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  21. asparagus, leeks, and morels! Oh my! This sounds fabulous! I could be in love too for sure...

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  22. Drooling over here .... and the suns only just coming up.

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  23. ahhhh geeeez, you grabbed me on this one, Willow. How loudly can I exclaim, "YUMAROONIES!!!"

    Only thing needed to change in our household...must switch to gluten-free lasagna noodles...

    After that - heh, we're golden :>]]

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  24. M M M!!! Can't wait to try this one, Mr. Wellborn is smitten with mushrooms (he'd eat 'em with his breakfast cereal if given the chance!).

    PS: Love your blue baking dish. I have several plates & mugs of similar print!

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  25. This sounds so nice for Summer. I'll have to try it..

    Your guest's are very lucky.
    yvonne

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  26. OK, maybe you didn't plan it like this, but you know that where your post ends and the comments box appears, is also where your other recipe rests (sidebar). So, not only did you have me salivating at this (I love lasagna!) but also at the pudding! :-)

    Many thanks. And I will be renting that French movie from LoveFilm very soon, too.

    Greetings from London.

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  27. Yes, please (she says, handing over her plate)! :-)

    You could sprinkle the flour over the vegetables for the last two minutes of sauteing, eliminates the raw flour taste and there would not be any lumps either.
    I have been using regular lasagna noodles (I prefer the thinner ones, but thicker ones work too) for years now, works every time. Just dip them quickly into a bowl of very warm water as you go about placing them into the baking dish. Add a bit more water to the sauce if the noodles are very thick. I find that the regular lasagna noodles have a better taste.

    Bon appetit! :-)

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  28. That looks very tasty, I am wondering if we have lasagna noodles here?

    I love your ceramic dish, it looks Polish.

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  29. I don' suppose you serve it with chips (my chips, your fries) do you?

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  30. This sounds wonderful! It's always spargelzeit for me!

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  31. whipping cream! wow. I love lasagna but so rarely make it as it is time consuming. this one sounds delicious.

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  32. Terresa and Acorn, yes, the blue pattern dish is Boleslawiec pottery from Poland. I have quite a few pieces, which I've been luck enough to find at TJ Maxx!

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  33. Alan, as much as I love french fries, pairing them with this lasagna would be too many carbs on one plate for even me. I would have to wait and have them for dessert (with a big puddle of ketchup, of course).

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  34. Oh, that sounds delicious. I love all those ingredients, and now you have me literally drooling. I've put nutmeg into sauces like this before and it just gives a nice kick of flavor. I know I'd like this. Thanks for the recipe and a great photo!

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  35. I need some inspiration! This sounds like a wonderful recipe for asparagus season.

    p.s. I'm making your rhubarb cake today. xx

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  36. Bee! Let me know how you like the rhubarb cake! I need to make it again, too. Mmm.

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  37. OMG....drooling...how could it not be great with those ingredients!

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  38. a stunning celebration
    of aspargus season!!!
    happy in the company of cream and morels.....OMG.....!!

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  39. I'm such a lazy cook,
    I think I will see your recommended movie in the post below!
    Have a super weekend.

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  40. Well, I gotta tell ya...my plans for oatmeal for breakfast are ruined...

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  41. Sweet Repose, I had a piece of 12 grain toast for breakfast, but that last little piece of leftover lasagna has my name on it!

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  42. That sounds lovely - and there was me thinking that Americans made lasagne with ricotta cheese layers instead of bechamel sauce.

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  43. I haven't read the comments,
    but am so making this!!

    I'd better use gluten free noodles as well or I'll be in serious pain because this looks divine.

    Love the poem above , is Elspeth your daughter?

    how incredible.

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  44. Sounds delish. I'm putting together
    a bunch of vege. dishes for the
    summer and this one had just made the list.

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  45. http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/poetry-awards-4-week-21-participants-and-fresh-poets/

    two awards on the bottom,
    many thanks!

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  46. This will have to remain a fantasy favourite now I'm on a dairy-free diet! Agony...

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)