Are You Ready for Comfort Food Season?

Few things are as comforting as a hearty plate of cheesy pasta. It fills both the body and soul with joy—and if it’s a particularly delicious recipe, it can become embedded in your memory. And lasagna is warming, satisfying, and soothing. Lasagna is a way of life at my house really! We love Italian food! The cheesy goodness and the fact that it's all in one pan, the whole experience is all so heavenly. It's always seems like a warm pasta dish has a way of bringing people together too.

I really wanted to make a FRENCH lasagna though! I had read about one on The Bonjour Paris blog and I couldn’t stop thinking about the creamy layers of white sauce, the fluffy topping, and the savory meat filling. She was sharing a story about a trip in France and how this café had a special of the day which was lasagnes maison: A house-made lasagna.

Italian-American lasagna often gets its lusciousness from layers of ricotta. French recipes, however, take a page from the Emilia-Romagna playbook, and use creamy layers of béchamel.

The Bonjour Paris blog explained what makes the lasagna distinctly French, rather than Italian, is the use of cheese. Italians would use primarily Parmigiano-Reggiano, and while French cooks might use a touch of that famed Italian cheese, they generally anchor the recipe with one of their hallmark alpine cheeses, such as Comté or French Emmental.

A French cook might use classic Italian seasonings of oregano and basil and herbes de Provence. Ohhh la la….delicious! All of my fave things.

Lasagnes Maison Recipe

Serves 4.

Béchamel/Fluffy Mornay Sauce

1/3      cup unsalted butter
1/3      cup flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
1          large egg
1/2      cup shredded Comté, Gruyère, or Emmental cheese

Meat Sauce:

1/2      pound bulk Italian sausage or lean ground beef
1          small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2          garlic cloves, minced
1/2      teaspoon dried herbes de Provence, crushed
1/2      cup sweet vermouth
1          14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes

To assemble:

6 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups grated Comté, Gruyère, or Emmental cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Make the Béchamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and salt and pepper to make a smooth paste. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Do not allow the flour mixture to brown. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until thick and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more.

Make the Fluffy Mornay Sauce: Remove 1 cup of the Béchamel Sauce to a bowl; let cool slightly about 3 minutes. Whisk in the 1/2 cup of the Comté cheese. Whisk in 1 egg until all is well blended. Set the Fluffy Mornay Sauce aside.

Make the Meat Sauce: Cook the meat and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up the meat into small pieces, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain off all of the fat from the pan. Add the garlic and herbes de Provence and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the vermouth. Bring to a boil and boil until nearly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cook at an active simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.

To assemble: Spread 3/4 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of your Teck Rectangular Baker—you won’t cover the entire surface, but that’s okay. Top with 2 sheets of lasagna noodles, side by side. Top with one-third of the remaining meat sauce (spreading to cover the noodles as best you can). Top one one-half of the Béchamel sauce, pouring as evenly as you can; sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Repeat the layers once, using 2 more noodles, one-third more of the meat sauce, 3/4 cup more of the cheese, and the remaining béchamel

Finish by layering 2 more noodles, the final third of the meat sauce, and the entire Fluffy Mornay Sauce. Sprinkle this top layer with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

5. Bake, uncovered, until the lasagna is bubbly and the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, covering loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes if the top browns too much. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting into four pieces to serve.

Isn’t the Teck Rectangular Baker just perfect from Pillivuyt?!

Inspired by the forests of Boulogne on the outskirts of Paris, this design shows the embossed age rings of a tree. Teck brings a rustic elegance to your table. With excellent heat conduction and retention, Pillivuyt bakers can be safely used in ovens up to 550 degrees F and will keep your culinary creations warm long after you bring them to the table. Pillivuyt bakers are thermal-shock resistant and can be taken directly from the freezer to a hot oven without harm.

Technical Information
14" L x 10.5" W x 2.5" H
Material: Porcelain
Made in France

French Savoir-Faire
Expertly crafted in Mehun-sur-Yevre, France; Pillivuyt has been perfecting the art of porcelain-making for over 200 years. Made from materials sourced in France and greater Europe, each dish is crafted with care and fired at 2550 degrees Fahrenheit resulting in porcelain that is of the highest quality. Pillivuyt's extraordinarily hard glaze is resistant to chipping, scratching, cracking and crazing. Pillivuyt is guaranteed lead and cadmium free and can be used safely in the oven (up to 550 degrees F), freezer, microwave and dishwasher. Pillivuyt porcelain is thermal-shock resistant and can be safely transferred from the freezer to a hot oven. When it's time for clean-up, a simple soak and scrub will do the trick.

My friends over at Pillivuyt are giving my readers 20% off everything they carry now until October 17th too! This will be such a great time to stock up on everything you need for your holiday gatherings and even holiday presents! Just use promo code GOFRENCHYOURSELF at checkout!

It’s truly the most exquisite exceptional quality French porcelain since 1818 and is unbeatable in the kitchen and beautiful on the table.

https://pillivuytshop.com/

I use this Teck Baker for everything!