Mushroom Lasagna

A couple posts back I raved about my love for the cast iron skillet, and here I am again with yet another recipe baked in my favorite choice of cooking vessel! It’s feeling like fall every day now, such a change from the socal weather I’m so used to, and the weather is constantly pulling me towards hearty, comfort dishes already (and it’s not even snowing yet!). This mushroom lasagna is comfort food at its finest – with some flair, too – it uses pepper jack cheese in the béchamel sauce, which adds a nice, subtle kick. The mushrooms were even mistaken for a hearty meat (according to my boyfriend!) – they are first simmered in red wine until reduced, adding rich depth and succulent texture. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Mushroom Lasagna

Serves 5 or 6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup flour

2 cups milk

8 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese

2 ounces shredded parmesan cheese

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 pound crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 small yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 ounces red wine

1 package no-bake lasagna sheets

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

For sauce:

Melt the butter in a sauce-pot, once melted add flour and whisk to make a roux. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add milk. Whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes. Once thickened, whisk in the pepper jack and parmesan cheese off the heat. Add some salt and pepper. Set aside.

For mushrooms:

Heat a couple of tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan. Add onions and a sprinkle of salt and sweat onions until semi-translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add red wine and simmer the mushrooms mixture until the wine is reduced and there is very little liquid left, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Assembly:

Butter a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet. Add a little sauce to the bottom. Then begin layering, first with the lasagna pasta sheets (overlap as needed, go ahead and break them apart as needed to fill in the round edges). Then, add a little of the mushroom mixture, a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, and then the sauce. When layering the sauce, don’t be afraid to be heavy handed so the entire layer gets covered. Repeat this process another two times.

End the layering process with a layer of the pasta sheets, and spread a layer of sauce over that. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20-25 minutes, until the top is browned and bubbly.

Bon appetit!

Xo, dominika.

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