I’m not gonna lie — one of the amazing things about having a baby is the plethora of amazing food you’ll have.  From care packages, to yummy take out, I haven’t really had to think about one single meal. The Mister and I are so blessed with incredible people in our lives. One dish in particular, tough, stood out from the pack. Portobello mushroom lasagna.

The Mister’s step-sister dropped it off last week and I have a feeling I’m going to have to make it many times this year to satisfy my new craving. Naturally, we gobbled it down before thinking of taking a photo, but I managed to get the recipe from Cori. (as well as find a relatively close doppelganger via Google images)

You’ll need:

• Kosher salt
• Good olive oil
• 3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
• 4 cups whole milk
• 12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup freshly ground Parmesan

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.

For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture . Then add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.

Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.

To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

(source)

This isn’t exactly the healthiest dinner, but with fresh, real ingredients and veggies, it is delicious and hearty — you don’t need a lot to feel full. The sauce is creamy and decadent, so much so that I’ve considered making a king-size batch — just to bathe in. In the future, I think I’d add some fresh spinach with the mushrooms — I think it’d add something to the dish and serve as another way to beef up the veggie ratio.

Make this lasagna for your next special dinner and pretend you came up with it on your own — you know I will