White Lasagna

Tara's Birthday Dinner
Without question, I am one of the luckiest men alive, I have two mother's in law :) one of whom is Italian and loves to cook. Her name is Mona and Tara's favorite recipe that she prepares is White Lasagna.  It  is truly rich, creamy and delicious.  You've got to love cheese and if you do, you will love this recipe as does our entire family.

White Lasagna


1 lb. Hot Italian Sausage
1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage
2 Eggs
32 oz. Ricotta Cheese
One Small Bunch Italian Parsley, coarsely chopped
1/4 lb. Grated Gruyere Cheese
1/4 lb. Grated Parmesan Cheese'
2 lbs. Grated Mozzarella
1 Cup half and half
3 Tbsp. Butter
2 Finely Chopped Shallots
4 Tbsp. Wondra Flour
2 Cups Chicken Broth
Fresh Parsley
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
Kosher Salt 
Fresh Ground Pepper
1/4 Cup Madiera or Tawny Port
2 Boxes Lasagna Noodles


This is one of those recipes where the more prep work you do prior to starting to cook, the better off you'll be,  It's just fine to buy the cheeses already shredded but the best outcome will always be to buy the cheeses and grate them yourself.  Either way, you won't be disappointed with this dish.  One of the biggest things to remember about lasagna, like many baked dishes is that the recipe is sort of like the "Pirate Code."   More like a set of guidelines than a hard and fast set of rules.

Get all your ingredients out of the frig, grated, beaten and pre-measured and this whole event will go a lot more smoothly!


Brown sausage in a saute pan, drain oil and set set aside.  If you  have the right kind of crowd coming over and you want to kick the whole dish up a notch,  add a teaspoon or so of  crushed red pepper flakes during the saute process.



 Browned Sausage looking tasty.


Beat your eggs slightly and gently blend in to the Ricotta Cheese in a large mixing bowl until the entire mixture is smooth and creamy.  Season with salt, pepper and and add chopped parsley.

Boil a large pot of water and cook Lasagna Noodles about half way and turn the pot off and remove from heat.  Later on I will take the noodles out a few at a time with a pair of tongs and dry quickly on a paper towel prior to layering in the baking dish later.

Make The Bechamel Sauce


Melt 3 T Butter in heavy sauce pan over medium heat
Add 2  Shallots Finely Chopped and cook until translucent
Add 4 T. Wondra Flour and whisk until golden brown
Stir in 2 Cups Chicken Broth and cook until smooth
Add Nutmeg,  salt and pepper
Stir in a generous glug or two of Madeira and cook for 1-3 minutes
Slowly add 1 Cup half and half and adjust seasonings if needed


Rub two 9x11 baking pans with a bit of olive oil and lay  out cooked lasagna noodles overlapping slightly.
Spread 1/2 of ricotta mixture over noodles in a very thin layer using the back of a rubber spatula
Add half  shredded Gruyere
Add half  shredded Parmesan
Add half Mozzarella
Add half cooked Sausage
Pour half the Bechamel Sauce using a soup ladle
Repeat the entire process and cover with foil. I like to make sure to add a generous amount of mozzarella at the end to cover the entire dish.


Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.  
Remove foil and bake ten minutes longer until cheese is golden brown.
Remove from oven  and allow to rest for 4-8 minutes 









Murph's Easy and Quick Garlic Bread
2 Loaves Fresh French or Italian Bread sliced on the diagonal
1 Stick Butter
1/4   Cup Olive Oil
4-6 Cloves finely chopped garlic
1 T Italian Seasoning 
1 T Dried Basil
Finely Grated Parmesan


Preheat Broiler to 450 degrees


Melt butter, olive oil and saute garlic until tender.
Add Italian Seasoning and Basil, stir for one minute and turn the heat off.
With a pastry brush or a tablespoon lightly coat each piece of bread with the herb butter
Sprinkle shredded parmesan on top of each slice of bread and arrange evenly on a cookie sheet
Place in the preheated oven and commence watching like a hawk... with the added element of cheese these will burn super fast and take no longer than 3 minutes to cook.

Finished Products Side by Side for Serving.


Enjoy with a nice Orvietto Classico or, if you are a bit more adventurous, go find a bottle  of  Est! Est! Est! di Montefiascone  and have a great meal!!