Brussel Sprouts Lasagna

A Brussel sprouts lasagna would not have been necessarily my first idea for using Brussel sprouts.  I like to steam them and slowly let them reduce very slowly in a frypan with bacon. Anyway, I was browsing the web for a way to use my ricotta and found a recipe with ricotta, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms.  I had all that handy.  It is delicious, you turn!

The recipe is from Jessica Merchant on her blog “how sweet it is”. The recipe is adopted here in metrics plus a few changes.

The steps are easy, cut and reduce Brussels sprouts, cut and reduce mushrooms, make a cheese sauce, assemble the lasagna, got it?

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• About 1/2 kg of Brussel sprouts
• Lasagna sheets (use the “instant cook” ones)
• 3 cups of white cup mushroom thinly sliced
• 2 garlic gloves crushed
• 1.5 cups of ricotta
• Pecorino cheese grated
• olive oil, pepper, salt
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

For the cheese sauce (béchamel sauce):

• 20 g of butter
• 2 tablespoon flour (white, plain)
• 25 cl (250 ml) of milk
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Slice the Brussels sprouts thinly, remove the stems.
3. In a thick base fry-an, eat up a couple teaspoon of oil. Add the Brussels sprout and season with salt and pepper.  Mix.  Cook until the sprouts soften and become bright in colour, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

1. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook for another minute. Remove the sprouts from the pan and set them aside in a bowl.
2. In the same frypan, heat 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil, add the crushed garlic, then the mushrooms. Cook until soft and juicy, stirring from time to time.  It should take 5-10 minutes. Season lightly (salt & pepper).
3. For the béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan.  You must use a whisk here.  Once the butter is melted, add the flour all at once, mix and cook until it becomes slightly golden (a roux).  Add the milk slowly and mix with the roux to form a paste at first, then a more liquid sauce. Ensure the fire is on medium (no higher).  Keep stirring.  The béchamel will start to thicken. Add salt and pepper.   When thick, remove from the heat and set aside.
4. To assemble the lasagna, add about 1/4 cup of the sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add a layer or lasagna sheets, then top with 1/3 of the Brussels sprouts and 1/3 of the mushrooms. Sprinkle on 1/3 cup of cheese and using your fingers, sprinkle on 1/2 cup of the ricotta. Drizzle 1/3 of the sauce on top. Repeat that layer two more times. Finish off the lasagna will any of the remaining cheese, the pecorino and the remaining sauce, evenly drizzled on top.

1. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly. Let sit for about 10-20 minutes before slicing.

Serve with a side salad.