Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

If you're like me, making a big meal on the weekend that reheats well helps you go into a busy week breathing easier. This lasagna makes an impressive main dish for company or a comforting creamy, cheesy dish for you and the hubs to eat in front of the fireplace in winter or on the patio in summer.

I first made this dish years ago when my boss, his wife and daughter came to dinner. I asked if anyone had food allergies or aversions, and he said they were able to eat anything (except his teenage daughter, who only ate pasta with butter and cheese). I didn't learn until we were eating the salad that his wife was lactose intolerant, which he hadn't mentioned because he thought it was all in her head. This lasagna, with its béchamel and cheese, just wouldn't do for her. I pulled some tomato basil soup from the freezer, steamed some asparagus and served it all with grissini. I bring this up because while this was all going on, I had no worries about dinner for the rest of my guests. This lasagna was in the oven, bubbling away and making the house smell terrific.

While this is yummy made with fresh pasta, I usually make it with dried, boiling the noodles for 6-7 minutes and letting them soak up the béchamel and mushroom juices. Speaking of the mushrooms, I usually mix portobello and cremini. When preparing portobello mushrooms, I  scrape the gills off before sautéing them. It's mostly an aesthetic preference.

If you wanted to, you could assemble this one evening and bake it the next, making it an even easier party dish.

If you'd like the recipe, you can find it here.