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Green Lasagna

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Actor and cookbook author Stanley Tucci recalls that when his family stayed in Italy, they found themselves in Bologna—the only city, it seemed, where there was an orthodontist who could replace his sister’s braces. During this day trip they ate lunch at a restaurant that specialized in lasagne verde. To this day, Tucci says it remains one of the finest meals he has ever eaten. Soon his mother had perfected the recipe, and this dish tops the request list when she prepares family birthday dinners.

The lasagna can be made using homemade pasta, but it is also very tasty made with commercial fresh or dried pasta, Tucci explains. Either way, he recommends using a combination of both standard yellow egg noodles and green spinach noodles for a colorful and flavorful dish. The lasagna may be prepared, cooled completely and refrigerated for two days before baking and serving. It may also be frozen and should be defrosted before baking. And this recipe can also be easily doubled and baked in the new Tucci by GreenPan deep-dish lasagna pan.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 85 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • For Maria Rosa’s sauce:
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • 4 Tbs. (2 fl. oz./60 ml) olive oil
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 small celery stalks, diced
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 1/4 lb. (1 kg) canned whole plum tomatoes
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • For the béchamel sauce:
  • 1/3 cup (3 oz./85 g) butter
  • 1 3/4 oz. (50 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 pints (22 fl. oz./700 ml) milk, warmed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • For the lasagna:
  • 7 standard lasagna sheets, cooked al dente, chilled in cold water and drained on kitchen towels
  • 3 oz. (85 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 5 green lasagna sheets, cooked al dente, chilled in cold water and drained on kitchen towels

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Directions

To make Maria Rosa’s sauce, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. When the butter is foaming, add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Stir in the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or with the back of a slotted spoon as you add them to the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the tomatoes are sweetened and cooked, about 45 minutes. You will use all of the sauce for the lasagna.

Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. When the butter is foaming, whisk in the flour, then whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in salt and pepper to taste and the nutmeg. You will use all of the sauce for the lasagna. The béchamel sauce can be prepared a few hours ahead of time and kept at room temperature. Place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.

To make the lasagna, preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C); if using a convection oven, preheat to 325°F (160°C). Butter a 13-by-9-inch (33-by-23-cm) lasagna pan or baking dish.

Ladle 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) of Maria Rosa’s sauce over the base of the prepared dish. Place 3 standard lasagna sheets side by side on top of the sauce. Spread a layer of one-fourth of the remaining Maria Rosa’s sauce on top of the sheets. Spread one-fourth of the béchamel sauce on top of Maria Rosa’s sauce. Sprinkle with 4 Tbs. of the cheese.

Top with 3 green lasagna sheets, then spread a layer of Maria Rosa’s sauce, a layer of béchamel sauce and another 4 Tbs. of the cheese on top of these sheets.

Top this layer with 3 standard lasagna sheets, then spread a layer of Maria Rosa’s sauce, a layer of béchamel sauce and 4 Tbs. of the cheese on top of these sheets.

For the final layer, place 1 standard lasagna sheet in the center and a green lasagna sheet on either side of it. Top with the remaining Maria Rosa’s sauce, the remaining béchamel sauce and the remaining 4 Tbs. cheese.

Bake until the lasagna is bubbly and lightly colored on top, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting. Serves 8.

Recipe adapted from The Tucci Cookbook, by Stanley Tucci with Joan and Stan Tucci, Gianni Scappin and Mimi Taft (Gallery Books, 2012)

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