Difficulty Level: Moderate
Total Time: 1.5 hours
Serving Size: 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
Lasagna:
5 fresh pasta sheets, roughly 9 x 12 inches
1 cup marinara sauce
5-8 (depending on size) heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1 cup basil pesto sauce
1 cup Mornay sauce
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
2 tbsp. basil chiffonade
Salt to taste
Easy Marinara Sauce:
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1 sprig basil
Mornay Sauce:
2 tbsp. salted butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
Tip: To reduce cooking time, use store bought marinara.
Directions:
Easy Marinara Sauce:
Add olive oil to a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and a sprig of basil. Stir and let simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add more salt to taste.
Mornay Sauce:
In a small pot over low heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Once a thick paste-like texture has developed, slowly whisk in the milk. Once the mixture has thickened, whisk in the grated Parmigiano. Set aside to let cool.
Lasagna:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add plenty of salt. Drop in the lasagna sheets for about 1-2 minutes until al dente. Remove from the pot and place on a wire rack over a baking sheet to cool. Blot with a paper towel to dry.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Meanwhile, lay one of the lasagna sheets across the bottom of a 9 x 13 in. rectangular baking dish. Spread 1/4 - 1/2 cup marinara across the sheet. Place the heirloom tomato slices over top and season with salt to taste. Spread 1/2 cup of the basil pesto over the tomatoes.
Lay another lasagna sheet over top of the tomatoes. Spread the Mornay sauce across the sheet. Place the mozzarella cheese slices over top and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Repeat this process of layering the pasta sheets with the tomatoes and Mornay sauce once more until you’ve used all of your pasta sheets. For the final layer, spread only the Mornay sauce on top along with grated Parmigiano.
Bake the lasagna for 20 minutes and then place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the Mornay sauce on top begins to brown and bubble. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Plate and top with more Parmigiano and basil chiffonade.