Pistachio Lasagna
Pistachio Lasagna
Today we are sharing a delicious recipe prepared by food blogger Simona Cellauro @cucina_con_simona #cucinaconsimona
Ingredients for 6 people
500g egg lasagna (precooked)
200g pancetta (diced)
Monil Sicilian Pistachio Cream 90g - click here to purchase
Homemade bechamel sauce (100g butter, 100g all-purpose flour, 1 liter lukewarm milk)
Scamorza cheese, thinly sliced, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Olive oil to taste click here to purchase
Monil Sicilian Pistachio flour to taste - click here to purchase
Parmigiano Reggiano (grated) to taste
Preparation and Seasoning
In a pan, brown the pancetta with a drizzle of oil for a few minutes and set aside.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil with a spoonful of oil; this will be used to blanch the lasagna so that they are soft (and to prevent the corners from remaining raw and drying out during oven cooking, which would alter the flavor).
Bechamel: If you are short on time, store-bought is fine, but... I prefer it homemade!
To avoid lumps, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat on a small burner. Then add the flour, a pinch of nutmeg and pepper, and stir with a kitchen spatula.
Continuing to stir, gradually add the milk until the mixture has thickened.
At this point, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
Add the Monil Sicilian Bronte Pistachio cream to the bechamel and mix well.
Back to the pot of water. When it’s ready, blanch the lasagna sheets for a few minutes, drain them, and place them on a work surface lined with parchment paper, greased with a little oil so they don't stick and to prevent them from breaking.
Now, preheat the oven to 180 °C (356 °F) and, while it heats up, start assembling the lasagna.
For convenience, I place all the ingredients in bowls around the baking dish where I will assemble the lasagna.
So: pancetta, Monil Sicilian Bronte Pistachio flour, the pistachio bechamel we prepared earlier, grated Parmesan (or in chunks to grate as needed), and thin slices of smoked scamorza.
Assembly
Spread some pistachio bechamel on the bottom of the baking dish, place a layer of lasagna, and pour the bechamel generously over it with a spoon, then add a layer of scamorza and pancetta to taste, and continue layering until you run out of ingredients.
The quantities of these last ingredients should be adjusted based on how many layers you plan to make (at least 4-5).
The final layer should be topped with the bechamel, Parmesan, and Monil Sicilian Bronte Pistachio flour.
Lasagna requires slow cooking, so choose the middle shelf of the oven and let it cook for at least 20 minutes.
Check with a fork if the lasagna is cooked or if it needs a few more minutes.
If you want a crust on the lasagna and your oven has a grill option, you can place it on the top shelf for a few minutes at the end of cooking for browning.
Note: during cooking, avoid opening the oven before 20 minutes, and when you do, be quick to close it, because opening it allows heat to escape quickly and the oven will have to recover its temperature, lengthening cooking times and compromising the final result!
Once ready, take the baking dish out and let it set for at least 30 minutes, or it might fall apart when portioning!
The unique taste of this lasagna lies in the perfect balance between the sweetness of the Bronte pistachio cream and the saltiness of the pancetta.
Success is guaranteed! But if you happen to have a few slices left over, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoy them for lunch the next day, or perhaps serve them as finger food for an aperitif!
Simona Cellauro @cucina_con_simona