mushroom lasagna...

perfect night to make this....

serves 6 to 8

salt
olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (i used less, because this seemed like a lot)
1 1/2 pounds cremini or portobello mushrooms
1 cup freshly grated parmesan

preheat your oven to 375°F. bring a large pan of water to boil with salt and a splash of oil, that will help keep your noodles from sticking together as they drain. add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes. drain and set aside.

make béchamel: bring the milk and garlic to simmer in a saucepan, or heat it in your microwave, and set it aside. melt 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter in a large saucepan. add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. pour in the hot milk, a little at a time at first and stirring until combined. once you’ve added half of it, you can add the second half all at once, along with 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. cook over medium-low heat, stirring or whisking frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thick. set aside.

prepare mushrooms: discard portobello mushroom stems and/or trim the ends of the cremini stems. slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium in the bottom of the large, wide pot you used to cook the noodles earlier, or in a large sauté pan. cook the mushrooms with a couple pinches of salt for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender and release some of their juices, tossing to make sure they cook evenly. repeat with additional oil and butter, and remaining mushrooms.

assemble lasagna: spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12 or 9 x 13 baking dish. arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce (about 1/4 of what remains), 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. repeat two more times then top with a final layer of noodles, your remaning sauce and last 1/4 cup of parmesan.

bake for 45 minutes, or until top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

serve with a green  salad and wine :)

anyone want to suggest a wine?