Lasagna for Christmas

Lasagna

On December 24 no one eats meat in Italy. Fish is common but also vegetarian food, and therefor today we are going to make a lasagna without meat – Lasagna in bianco. Of course this delicious “pasta al forno” is eaten the whole year around, but on the 24th it’s almost mandatory.

Ingredients, serving 4:

* 50 g butter
* 50 g flour
* 50 cl of milk
* 1 pinch of nutmeg
* 1 pepper
* 3 zucchini
* 1 eggplant
* 2 pound mushrooms
* 1 pound of peas
* 1 pound of beans
* 3 tomatoes
* some Olive oil
* salt
* pepper
* 1 mozzarella
* 100 g of parmensan
* 600 g of fresh pasta foils for lasagna

Start with the besciamelle sauce.  Melt the butter in a saucepan on moderate heat, add flour, stirring with a whisk.
Then pour the cold milk all at once, stirring constantly until begins to boil.
Add salt, reduce the intensity of the flame and simmer for twenty minutes covered and stirring from time to time. Remove from heat, adjust salt if necessary and, if desired, flavor with a pinch of nutmeg or pepper.

If the besciamelle is too stiff add a little ‘milk, if too runny, put back on the heat and add a knob of butter floured. For a richer besciamelle sauce replaced half the milk with equall amount of cream, for a lighter white sauce, use half milk and half water.

Leave it to cool down and cut the mozzarella in small pieces and grate the parmensan. Clean and cook all  the vegetables in a pan with oil and salt for about 30 minutes, then add the beciamelle sauce. Mix it all together.
Oil an oven form and add a some besciamelle and vegetables. Top with a layer of pasta, then some more seasoning.  Sprinkle some bits ‘of mozzarella and some Parmesan.
Repeat for 3-4 layers
On the last layer, put only seasoning, no mozzarella or Parmesan.
Cook in oven at 200 ° for 20 minutes