Most lasagne rely on plenty of meat to make them hearty, satisfying and delicious. That’s not the case with this incredible lasagna variation from Liguria, which is completely vegetarian! The secret is their most famous ingredient: pesto alla Genovese.
This lasagna might be vegetarian, but it is sure to please everyone who tries it—meat lovers included!
A Note on Ingredients
In order to make lasagna al pesto, you’ll need a few prepared ingredients that you can make in advance.
The first is fresh egg pasta dough. You’ll want about 2 servings (i.e. 2 eggs worth). Follow our guide to making it at home here! Once the dough is made, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling, or you can keep it wrapped in the fridge overnight.
You’ll also need some besciamella, which is a simple roux-based sauce. Again, check out our easy recipe here to whip some up. The besciamella is best made the same day so that it doesn’t thicken too much.
Lastly, you will need some basil pesto. We can’t stress this enough: it needs to be homemade. Store bought pesto is far too oily and you will make a greasy mess of your oven if you try to use it. Furthermore, very few premade pesto brands use only extra-virgin olive oil and instead opt for sunflower oil, which isn’t nearly as yummy. Here is our full guide on how to make pesto alla Genovese!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video:
LASAGNA AL PESTO RECIPE
Makes: One 2 quart lasagna, serves 6
Cook Time: 3 hours
For this recipe, you will need:
Salt
2 large russet potatoes
8 ounces (225 g) green beans, trimmed
2 servings fresh egg pasta dough
1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter
4 cups (950 ml) besciamella sauce
2 cups (470 ml) homemade basil pesto, or to taste
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste
Bring two pots of water to a rolling boil and salt them generously. In one, place the potatoes, skin on. In the other, add the green beans. Boil the green beans until they are tender but not mushy, then drain and chop them. Cook the potatoes until you can easily insert a paring knife into the center—about 45 minutes to one hour. Drain the potatoes, let them cool, then peel and cube them. Set the vegetables aside for later.
Now it’s time to roll the pasta dough into lasagne sheets. You can certainly do this with a rolling pin—we’ve done it all the time! However, a pasta machine will make the process much easier and quicker so we recommend using one if you can.
Cut about ¼ of the dough off with a knife and keep the remainder wrapped in plastic so it doesn’t dry out. If using a machine, start rolling with the thickest setting (usually 1) and gradually increase the number until you reach the correct thinness. Dust the pasta lightly with flour before rolling and each time it comes out of the machine. Roll the pasta out into a long sheet (feel free to cut it in half at any point if it gets too long to manage) until it is very thin (we recommend the #6 or #7 setting on a standard Marcato Atlas machine, or to the thickness you prefer).
To use a rolling pin, set aside about ⅓ of the pasta dough and keep the rest wrapped. Roll out the dough on a large, smooth surface and dust it with flour as you work. Flip it over frequently. When the dough is very thin, it's ready to cut. Cut as instructed below, then repeat with another portion of dough until all of the pasta is shaped.
Cut the pasta sheet(s) into rectangles, around 8 x 5 inches, but don't worry about being too precise as the pasta will be trimmed and layered later. Don't throw away any scraps or smaller pieces as they can be useful later to fill in gaps.
Lay the pasta sheets flat on clean kitchen towels, avoiding overlapping. Repeat the rolling and cutting process until all the pasta dough is used. As you work, bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously.
To prepare the boiled pasta sheets, work in batches of 2-3 sheets at a time. Drop them into the boiling water and cook for about 30 seconds per sheet. Use tongs to gently remove each sheet and place it on a clean towel. Keep the sheets separated to prevent them from sticking together. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.
Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C).
Place a few scattered pats of butter into the bottom of a 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Next, spread a thin layer of besciamella evenly along the bottom. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets on top, overlapping them slightly and cutting them to size to fill any gaps.
Spread another layer of besciamella on top of the pasta, followed by a scattering of cubed potatoes, some chopped green beans, a generous drizzle of pesto, and a grating of Parmigiano. Repeat these steps to continue layering pasta, besciamella, potatoes, green beans, pesto and cheese until you have about four or five layers of pasta, or have filled your dish almost to the brim.
Cover the last layer of pasta with besciamella, a drizzle of pesto, and plenty of Parmigiano. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes on a middle rack. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 420° F (215° C) and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top begins to brown.
Let the lasagna cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Buon appetito!
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