Serves 6
Ingredients
30g dried porcini
10 baby artichokes
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
About 10-12 lasagne sheets (fresh if possible)
40g grated parmesan cheese
For the béchamel
2 tbsp/30g butter, plus extra for greasing
2 tbsp plain flour
475ml milk
Grated parmesan cheese, to taste
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Soak the dried porcini in a bowl of lukewarm water. Slice the raw artichokes lengthwise and place in a bowl of water with the lemon juice added to it.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic, and cook gently until softened. Add the drained artichokes and brown them lightly before moistening them with a sprinkling of lukewarm water. Season with salt and pepper. When they are cooked halfway, squeeze the porcini dry and add them to the pan.
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3. Make the béchamel sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour and stir well, cooking until the flour has browned lightly. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Continue cooking and stirring the sauce for 10 min, then remove from the heat, season with a little salt and pepper, and stir in the grated parmesan cheese.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and grease an ovenproof dish with butter. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil with 1 tbsp oil, then add the pasta, a few sheets at a time. When the sheets rise to the top of the pan, remove them with a slotted spoon and spread them out on a clean dish towel or baking paper.
5. Layer the ingredients in the prepared dish in this order: béchamel sauce, pasta, artichokes, mushrooms, continuing to layer until all the ingredients have been used, ending with a layer of sauce sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 min. Remove from the oven and let it rest before serving.
Recipe taken from Italian Cooking School: Pasta by the Silver Spoon Kitchen, out now, Phaidon