Three-Cheese Pesto Lasagna


Three Cheese Lasagna

As classic as lasagna is, it’s not top of my mind during the summer. But summer ingredients like fresh herbs and dark, leafy greens make for such a tasty lasagna, you may want to rethink it as a summer dish.

This three-cheese lasagna with pesto and greens is not only a great way to use up a lot of summer produce you’ve been hoarding, it also keeps and reheats incredibly well throughout the week.

Three Cheese LasagnaThe richness of three kinds of cheese – Parmesan, ricotta, and mozzarella – contrasts beautifully with a creamy basil pesto and supple greens in this lasagna. Sautéed mushrooms provide a meatiness that still feels light, and a healthy bit of garlic keeps things lively.

This recipe comes together in several steps, and you’ll need to prepare each layer before you can cook the lasagna. This makes it more of a weekend recipe than a weeknight recipe, but the leftovers are great all week long.

Three Cheese Lasagna


Three-Cheese Pesto Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients

For the pesto (makes about 1 1/2 cups):

  • 4 cups lightly packed basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan (about 3 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or slightly less this amount of table salt)

For the sautéed mushrooms:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 cup sliced crimini or brown mushroom caps (about 6 ounces)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or slightly less this amount of table salt)

For the greens:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cups loosely packed spinach
  • 4 cups loosely packed kale leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or slightly less this amount of table salt)

For the cheese sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan (about 3 ounces)

For the ricotta mixture

  • 2 large eggs
  • 15 to 16 ounce tub ricotta

To assemble the lasagna:

  • 1 pound lasagna noodles
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8 ounces mozzarella, sliced and torn into rough half moon pieces


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