Shelly's Recipe

AUTUMN LASAGNA

Category: Pasta - Baked

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 ounces pancetta, diced, divided
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 no-boil lasagna noodles*
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
6 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 10-ounce packages frozen winter squash, defrosted and drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add pancetta and saute for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and saute 3 minutes more, until mushrooms release their juices. Add half of the minced garlic and saute 3 minutes more, until the juices have evaporated and the mushrooms are golden. Remove from skillet into a large bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining pancetta and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute until chicken is almost done. Add remaining garlic and saute until chicken is cooked through. Remove from skillet into the bowl with the mushrooms and set aside.

Prepare a bechamel sauce by melting butter in the same skillet. Add flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with grated nutmeg and stir in 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread 1 cup of bechamel in the bottom of the dish. Set aside 2 cups of the bechamel and add the remaining sauce to the chicken and mushrooms. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Top bechamel with 3 sheets of lasagna and spread with half of the chicken-mushroom mixture. Top with 1 cup of shredded Parmesan. Top with 3 more noodles.

Season the drained squash puree with salt and pepper and spread over the noodles. Sprinkle with mozzarella and top with another layer of noodles, being careful they don’t overlap. Spread with remaining chicken-mushroom mixture and sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded Parmesan. Top with more of the noodles and spread with reserved bechamel. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until cheese is golden and lasagna is bubbly. Remove from oven and set aside for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings