Home

Lasagne montanare

17/11/2023

Mountain-style lasagna is a variant of the classic Bolognese lasagna, which includes typical ingredients from mountainous areas, such as mushrooms, and often sausage or game meat. I will describe a version that includes porcini mushrooms, which are a very common ingredient in mountain recipes in Italy.

Ingredients

  • 300 g of egg lasagna (fresh or dry, which require pre-cooking)
  • 500 g of fresh or frozen porcini mushrooms
  • 300 g of sausage or ground wild boar meat
  • 250 g of béchamel sauce
  • 200 g of grated cheese (Parmesan or pecorino)
  • 1 onion
  • Garlic (to taste)
  • Chopped parsley
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. Begin by cleaning the porcini mushrooms and cutting them into pieces. Chop the onion and garlic.
  2. In a pan, sauté the onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Add the ground meat and let it brown.
  3. Add the porcini mushrooms to the pan with the meat, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and their liquid has evaporated.
  4. Prepare the béchamel sauce following your favorite recipe or basic instructions: melt some butter in a pot, add flour to form a roux, then gradually add hot milk, continue stirring until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and add a sprinkle of nutmeg.
  5. If you are using dry lasagna, pre-cook them in salted water following the manufacturer’s instructions; if you are using fresh lasagna, you can skip this step.
  6. Assemble the lasagna in a greased baking dish with a bit of oil. Put a first layer of lasagna, then add some of the meat and mushroom mixture, a sprinkle of grated cheese, and some béchamel. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used up, ending with béchamel and a generous sprinkle of grated cheese.
  7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 °C for about 30-40 minutes, or until the surface is golden and crispy.
  8. Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley for a touch of color and flavor.

Remember that this recipe is just a base, and you can personalize it with other typical mountain ingredients that you prefer or have available, such as speck, truffle, or other types of mushrooms. Enjoy your meal!