This is one of the worlds most versatile recipes for lasagna! For my recipe today I have used the wonderful produce from Europe, and showcased the beautiful Cannellini Beans. Lasagna has to be one of the best ever dinners,...

This is one of the worlds most versatile recipes for lasagna! For my recipe today I have used the wonderful produce from Europe, and showcased the beautiful Cannellini Beans. Lasagna has to be one of the best ever dinners, you can prepare them ahead of time, they hold up well when frozen and are always well worth the effort.

White Lasagna (Lasagna Bianche)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons plain flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

2 cups ricotta

1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

2 Packets of fresh lasagna sheets (12 sheets) or your own homemade ones

2 cans Cannellini Beans (drained, rinsed)

2 cups grated mozzarella

1 cup sundried tomatoes roughly chopped and drained

Some olive oil

Method

Pre heat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 34cm x 24cm baking tray with olive oil. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir into a thick paste. Cook this for 2 mins until the paste becomes a lighter colour.

Next slowly add in the milk, and cream, using a whisk to combine thoroughly into a smooth mix. Continue to cook over medium heat until mixture boils and becomes thicker, into a sauce like consistency, stirring frequently. Once thickened, stir in 1/2 of the parmigiano-reggiano.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the remaining parmigiano-reggiano, the ricotta, the lemon zest and the parsley and mix until well blended.

To build the lasagna, spread a thin layer of the white sauce in the tray. Lay 2-3 of the fresh pasta sheets crosswise over the sauce (they won’t cover the entire base of the tray, but will expand during baking). Dollop some of the ricotta mixture across the pasta sheets. Scatter evenly with some of the sundried tomatoes. Pour some of the white sauce over, the top with a layer of the Cannellini beans. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top. Repeat the layers as many times as required to fill the tray just below the top. For the final layer, finish with the remaining white sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned (the temperature in centre should be 75°C). Let this stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes, before cutting to serve.

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