Photographer: James Moffatt / Styling: Elisa Baker/ Food Preparation: Kathy Knudsen
Hailing from Liguria, this meat-free green lasagne from Julia Busuttil Nishimura is layered with a fresh basil and spinach pesto, creamy besciamella and a trinity of Italian cheese. Each mouthful delivers heft without heaviness, making it the ideal centrepiece for group entertaining or an easy way to wow the family.
Ingredients
Method
For pesto, combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, add oil in a thin, steady stream until smooth and combined. Transfer to a bowl, season to taste and refrigerate until required.
For besciamella, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour and cook, stirring, until sandy (3-5 minutes). Gradually whisk in hot milk until sauce is smooth and thick (8-10 minutes). Pour into a large bowl, season to taste, then cover directly with plastic wrap and allow to cool slightly (20 minutes). Stir through pesto.
Meanwhile, combine ricotta, egg, parmesan and garlic powder in a bowl and season generously to taste.
Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced. To assemble lasagne, lightly grease a 24cm square baking dish with olive oil. Spread ⅓ cup besciamella over base of dish. Top with a single layer pasta sheet (trimming to fit), ⅔ cup besciamella, 3 slices provolone and one-fifth ricotta mixture. Continue layering pasta, besciamella, provolone and ricotta mixture, ending with a layer of ricotta mixture. Top with torn mozzarella, season to taste, cover tightly with foil and bake until bubbling (45 minutes). Remove foil and bake, uncovered, until golden (15-20 minutes). Stand for 10 minutes before serving. Scatter with extra parmesan, pine nuts and basil to serve.
