Green Lasagna with Béchamel (no ricotta)
A vibrant green lasagna that's perfect for warmer spring and summer weather. It skips the ricotta and instead layers creamy béchamel, green basil-spinach sauce, savory sausage crumbles, sweet leeks, and torn fresh mozzarella.
Servings: 12 slices
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Italian Pork Sausage
- 2 large Leeks white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Dry White Wine
- 12 No-Boil Lasagna Sheets
- 16 ounces Fresh Mozzarella Cheese roughly torn
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
Béchamel Sauce
- 5 tablespoons Unsalted Butter about 70 grams
- ½ cup All Purpose Flour about 70 grams
- 5 cups Milk I used 2%
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
Green Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic smashed
- 1 cup Peas
- 10 ounces Baby Spinach
- 1 cup Fresh Basil loosely packed (about 25 grams)
- ½ cup Crème Fraîche
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper plus more to taste
- ½ cup Water plus more as needed
Instructions
Sausage and Leeks
- Cook sausage: In a large pan over medium-high heat, cook sausage for 8-10 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and crispy. Transfer to a bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Cook leeks: Add leeks to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly caramelized.
- Deglaze: Add white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Cook for 2-3 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer leeks to a bowl.
Béchamel Sauce
- Make the roux: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly nutty smelling with no visible dry flour remaining.
- Add milk: Slowly whisk in about ½ cup of the milk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes, whisking often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Season: Once thickened, stir in the salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
Green Sauce
- Cook greens: In the same large pan used for the sausage and leeks, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, peas, and a handful of spinach. As the spinach wilts, continue adding more spinach until it has all been added. Cook for 3–5 minutes total, stirring frequently, until the spinach is fully wilted.
- Blend: Transfer the spinach mixture to a blender. Add the basil, crème fraîche, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Adjust consistency: Add ½ cup water and blend until smooth and pourable. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add additional water, 1–2 tablespoons at a time, if the sauce is too thick.
Assemble and Bake Lasagna
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 400°F.
- First layer: Spread a thin layer of béchamel in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with 4 no-boil lasagna sheets, ⅓ of the remaining béchamel, half of the green sauce, half of the sausage and leeks, 4 ounces mozzarella, and ⅓ of the Parmesan.
- Second layer: Repeat with 4 no-boil lasagna sheets, ⅓ of the remaining béchamel, the remaining green sauce, the remaining sausage and leeks, 4 ounces mozzarella, and ⅓ of the Parmesan.
- Final layer: Top with the remaining 4 lasagna sheets, remaining béchamel, remaining 8 ounces mozzarella, and remaining Parmesan.
- Bake: Place the baking dish on a sheet pan to catch drips and bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Broil for 2–3 minutes, if desired, for a deeper golden top.
- Rest: Let the lasagna rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh basil and additional Parmesan, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1102mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3308IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 436mg | Iron: 3mg
