WILD MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Pair with Blackstone Merlot

Ingredients

6 ounces pancetta, diced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and reconstituted, and drained (1 cup)
2 cups baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
1 cup shitake mushrooms, stems roomed, sliced
3 medium shallots minced
3 garlic cloves
1 cup dry white wine
4-1/2 cups béchamel sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 sheets dry no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cups mozzarella, freshly grated
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cook pancetta in large sauté pan on medium heat in 2 tablespoons oil until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan and set aside. Reserve oil in pan.

Sauté mushrooms in batches until caramelized in the pan with reserved pancetta oil on medium heat. Remove mushrooms in batches to plate till all are cooked.

In same pan, add remaining olive oil and sauté shallots and garlic on medium heat until softened, 3 – 4 minutes. Return mushrooms to pan and add white wine. Cook until liquid has evaporated. Toss with thyme and pancetta. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly oil a 13 x 9 baking dish. Spread 1-1/2 cups béchamel sauce on bottom of pan then top with 4 lasagna noodles and top with half of the mushroom mix.

Mix eggs into remaining béchamel mixture. Spread 1/3 of this mixture over the mushrooms and top with 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/4 of the mozzarella.

Repeat layering of 4 noodles, mushroom, béchamel, Parmesan and mozzarella ending with final layer of mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes until bubbly. Remove foil and continue to bake 10 minutes more, or until top is browned. Let cool for 10 minutes then serve.