Lasagna is a terrifically varied universe, and though most lasagna recipes are either tomato or meat based, there are many other options. Liguria's Lasagna al pesto comes immediately to mind, but this lasagna with radicchio, in which the bitterness of the radicchio balances the creamy sweetness of the cheeses, is quite nice. The recipe will serve 6.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 package store-bought fresh lasagna, about 2/3 pound (300 g): Ideally the kind that needn't be boiled
- 1 2/3 pounds (750 g) Radicchio Trevigiano (see below link to radicchio page)
- 1 large onion, peeled and minced
- 1/2 pound (225 g) ricotta
- 1/2 pound (225 g) Mascarpone (a soft, creamy, mild cheese)
- 2 cups freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano
- 2 cups béchamel sauce (ready made, or see below link to instructions)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Peel and mince the onion. Clean the radicchio and slice it into thin strips. Heat the butter in a pot, and when it melts sauté the onion and radicchio until they soften and wilt. Salt them and let them cool.
Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Combine the ricotta with the mascarpone and half the grated cheese. Line an oven dish whose volume is proportionate to that of the ingredients with oven parchment. Lay down a first sheet of lasagna and spread it with some of the cheese mixture. Sprinkle some of the radicchio over it too, follow it with a second sheet of lasagna, and continue all is used up. Pour the béchamel sauce and the remaining grated cheese over top, and bake the lasagna for about a half hour.
Serve with a white wine, for example a Pinot Grigio.
Note: If you cannot find mascarpone, you could substitute for it by working together cream cheese and heavy cream, until the mixture is soft and creamy.
Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Combine the ricotta with the mascarpone and half the grated cheese. Line an oven dish whose volume is proportionate to that of the ingredients with oven parchment. Lay down a first sheet of lasagna and spread it with some of the cheese mixture. Sprinkle some of the radicchio over it too, follow it with a second sheet of lasagna, and continue all is used up. Pour the béchamel sauce and the remaining grated cheese over top, and bake the lasagna for about a half hour.
Serve with a white wine, for example a Pinot Grigio.
Note: If you cannot find mascarpone, you could substitute for it by working together cream cheese and heavy cream, until the mixture is soft and creamy.
