Roasted Portobello and Prosciutto Lasagna

I have had this recipe in my ‘cookbooks’ for 8 years but had never tried it until last week.  Maybe you can guess, I had a party, featuring lasagna.  Most of the people I invited know I have a food blog so I was comfortable trying out a new recipe on them.  If it was a flop I had the other 2 lasagna (Vegetable and Sausage) to count on and felt I had plenty of food with out the Mushroom lasagna.  So I went ahead and tried it.

It’s not your traditional lasagna with tomato and mozzarella cheese and the ingredients are a bit on the expensive side.  The prosciutto, Portobello mushrooms and the Gruyère cheese were all approximately $8 each.  So if it turned out good, I thought it was well worth the extra expense.  If not, well that was $24 down the drain.

It was a success! (phew:  I sure sounded confident, haha!!)  So give it a try, maybe on your family first.  You do have to like mushrooms, though.  So it might be a deal breaker for a few of you.  I can’t really think of an appropriate substitute.  Leaving them out really wouldn’t be a good option.

Roasted Portobello and Prosciutto Lasagna (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Filling

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of olive oil

2-1/2 pounds (about 10 large) Portobello mushrooms, stems removed

6 ounce chunk of prosciutto, cut into 1/4 inch squares (Boar’s Head Prosciutto di Parma is what I used.  I got the imported one because the counter person said that was the best)

2/3 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Sauce

4 cups whole milk

1, 14 ounce can low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

8 ounces grated Gruyère cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

9 ounce package of Barilla No Boil Lasagne Noodles

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a large rimmed cookie sheet with canola oil.  Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl and taking one mushroom at a time, place in bowl and with your hands, cover mushroom with the oil.  They are somewhat delicate so be gentle with them. Place mushroom gill side up on cookie sheet. Repeat process with the rest of the mushrooms.  You should have a single layer of mushrooms.  Place in oven and bake/roast for 45 minutes.  Cool.  Cut each mushroom into 1/3 inch slices.

While mushrooms are in the oven, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat.  Add prosciutto and saute until browned, about 3 minutes. Add shallots, rosemary and thyme.  Cook until shallots are tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

Bring milk and chicken broth to a simmer in a large sauce pan,  over medium heat.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In another large sauce pan, over medium low heat, melt butter.  Whisk in flour and stir for 2 minutes.  Whisk in hot milk mixture, bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and add Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses.  Stir to combine.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Spray a glass 9 x 13 inch baking dish with canola oil.  Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of dish.  Spread 5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit.  Spread about 1-2/3 cups sauce over noodles. Arrange 1/2 of mushrooms over sauce.  Scatter 1/2 of prosciutto mixture over mushrooms.  Arrange 5 noodles over mushrooms, overlapping to fit.  Spread 1-2/3 cups sauce over noodles.  Arrange remaining mushrooms over sauce, sprinkle with remaining prosciutto and top with 5 noodles.  Spread remaining sauce over noodles.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until golden brown and sauce is bubbling.  Let stand 20-30 minutes before serving.

Mushrooms ready to go in the oven:

Mushrooms finished roasting:

Mis en place:

First layer with sauce, noodles, sliced mushrooms and prosciutto :

Ready to go in the oven:

This next picture should be of the lasagne out of the oven, golden brown and yummy.

I deleted it by mistake.  Shame, shame, shame on me.  Eventually I will make it again and will be sure to add the picture to this post.   But I did not want to delay giving you this recipe because it is such a good one.  So forgive me and enjoy!!