Mushroom Lasagna

This exquisite vegetarian Mushroom Lasagna, full of heavenly layers of savoury mushrooms, luxurious béchamel sauce, two kinds of cheese, and baked until melty and bubbly, is deliciously comforting and perfect for sharing with loved ones.

This lasagna. Omg. Inspired and adapted from Ina Garten’s portobello lasagna, I have been making similar versions of it for over a decade. But this one, I have to say, is the best mushroom lasagna ever. At the very least, it is my best lasagna, ever. More delicate than a typical tomato-and-meat lasagna, this vegetarian version is still rich and bursting with savoury flavour.

Tucked between layers of thin sheets of pasta and luscious mounds of creamy béchamel sauce, you will find a plethora of earthy mushrooms that are the undisputed star of the show. Warm, oozy, fresh mozzarella, and salty parmesan cheese ensure this mushroom lasagna will hook even those that claim to not be fond of mushrooms.

This isn’t a weeknight lasagna (is there such a thing?) but it isn’t an all-day affair lasagna, either. What I love most about it is that like most lasagnas, you can assemble it entirely a day, or even two, before you bake it. This makes the time and effort you invest in it very manageable with a guaranteed, swoon-worthy, payoff. So much so, you might find it hard to reserve this exquisite lasagna for special occasions.

Key Ingredient Notes

The beauty of this mushroom lasagna is that it has relatively few ingredients, at least by lasagna standards. You may be tempted to add other ingredients but give it a try as written at least once. It is truly exquisite. As always, for recipes that call for few ingredients you want to seek out the best quality possible.

• Lasagna noodles: You can use fresh lasagna sheets, boxed lasagna sheets, or no-boil. Purists will turn up their nose at no-boil lasagna sheets. But here’s the thing. If you aren’t rolling out homemade, fresh lasagna sheets, then you may as well keep it simple and use no-boil. I used the no-boil De Cecco brand here and quite liked it. That said, there are pros and cons to no-boil noodles so please read my thoughts and tips in section below.
• Mushrooms: This recipe calls for a lot of mushrooms so I like to use mostly cremini which are not as expensive. Costco sells a 2-pound box for $6 (Canadian). If I’m feeling fancy, I will add a handful or two of oyster or shiitake which you can find for a reasonable price at Asian markets. I like to chop them a little on the bigger-side so they don’t shrink too much when cooked.
• White wine: Optional but I love to add a good splash to the mushrooms for more depth of flavour and to deglaze the pan.
• Garlic: Here we use a few cloves to flavour the olive oil, plus one clove, minced.
• Milk: To make the béchamel sauce. You can use whole or 2% but avoid using skim milk.
• Parmigiano Reggiano: Please don’t buy the pre-grated parmesan which can contain caking agents and will affect the texture of the sauce. Freshly grated parmesan from a block of Reggiano will be 100% worth the splurge.
• Fresh mozzarella: I love using fresh mozzarella in most of my lasagnas but I know it can be a bit of a splurge. Again, Costco sells fresh mozzarella balls for a very good price but feel free to use grated mozzarella, if you wish. Harder to find scamorza or caciocavallo, which are melty like mozzarella but a little tastier, would also be wonderful here.
• Flour and butter: To make the roux for the béchamel sauce.
• Nutmeg: The warming aroma of nutmeg is essential to this white sauce mushroom lasagna. I use a teaspoon but you can use a little less if you wish.
• Seasonings: For best results, season with Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper throughout the cooking process.
• Note: To keep this lasagna truly vegetarian, make sure you seek out a vegetarian parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Variations And Substitutions

• Add spinach: If you love spinach, cook about 5 cups of spinach leaves in a skillet until wilted. Spread 1/4 of the spinach leaves in each layer of the lasagna.
• Add shallots: Sauté two, finely diced, medium shallots in the skillet before adding the mushrooms.
• Add chicken or sausage: If you’d like to add a protein, layer in some chopped cooked chicken, or cooked chicken sausage.

About No-Boil Lasagna Noodles

In a perfect world, I would absolutely make my lasagna with homemade, see-through thin sheets of pasta. But that is a time and commitment investment I am only willing to ,are once a year, if that.

No boil-lasagna noodles have come a long way with many good-quality pasta brands now offering egg-based lasagna sheets, thinner sheets, etc. A lot of people swear by the Barilla brand and like I mentioned, I quite liked the De Cecco egg noodle sheets. The only caveat is that no-boil noodles will perform best in a lasagna that has a lot of sauce so they can cook and expand properly. So if you are making a lasagna like this one with very little sauce, they can be a bit problematic.

The solution is to dip them in a shallow baking dish with boiling water for a few minutes. This is a bit of a fastidious step but it hydrates them just enough so they soften perfectly when cooked. Pre-soaking the noodles will also prevent them from soaking up too much of the béchamel sauce. Plus, it’s still easier than boiling noodles which requires a large pot and they often end up sticking together.

Here is what you do to soak the noodles:

1. Lay them out in a baking dish then add enough boiling (or really hot) water to cover by about 1-inch. Let them soak for 5 minutes, occasionally giving them a swish around in the pan to make sure they aren’t sticking together.
2. Once the noodles are done soaking, lay them out on a clean kitchen towel, or a parchment-lined baking sheet and blot the excess water with a paper towel.

In the end, the lasagne noodles you use will be a matter of preference. Use what works best for you and please share your favourite in the comments!

How To Make Mushroom Lasagna

This recipe calls for a lot of mushrooms but keep in mind they shrink a lot when cooked. You will likely need to cook them in two batches so use the largest skillet you own. Full disclosure: I have a very large (13-inch) skillet and I no longer bother cooking the mushrooms in batches. For this mushroom lasagna, I actually prefer the mushrooms a little less browned.

Start by cleaning and slicing the mushrooms. Set aside.

Step 1

Prepare the noodles: If using no-boil noodles, prepare them now following the instructions from section above. If cooking lasagna noodles, be sure to cook them al dente (about 2 minutes less than instructions on the package suggest).

Step 2

Make the béchamel: In a large saucepan, make the roux by melting the butter then whisking in the flour to make a paste. Slowly stream in milk and whisk thoroughly. Cook, stirring often with a whisk or wooden spoon, until sauce starts to thicken, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.

Step 3

Cook the mushrooms: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add smashed garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Remove the cloves (tip – use for spreading on toast!). Add half of the mushrooms to the pan and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Toss and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until they are tender and have released most of their juices. Transfer to a large plate or bowl, and repeat with the other half. Return the first batch of mushrooms to the pan, add the minced garlic followed by the wine (if using). Boil until most of the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. *Alternatively, if you have a very large skillet, you can cook all the mushrooms at the same time.

Step 4

Assemble: Before you start layering the lasagna, set aside about 1/3 cup of mushrooms to decorate the last (top) layer. Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce (about 1/2 cup) across the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Layer lasagna noodles on top, trying not to overlap them too much. Spread 1/4 of the remaining sauce over the noodles, making sure all of the noodles are covered with some sauce. Top with 1/3 of the mushrooms, 1/4 of the fresh mozzarella, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Repeat this three more times (so you will have 4 layers total) using the reserved mushrooms for the last layer.

Step 5

Bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake the lasagna for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and bubbly. Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

How To Clean Mushrooms

So much controversy exists around this topic. Some say never to wash mushrooms with water as they will become water logged and have a diluted flavour and slimy texture when cooked. Instead, they suggest to use a cloth or paper towels to wipe off any dirt. 

Others insist mushrooms may contain debris and bacteria that must be washed or soaked with water. So what’s the deal? 

Mushrooms are indeed porous and tend to soak up water like a sponge so it is best to avoid water when cleaning them, if possible. If you buy packaged mushrooms from the grocery store, these have been farmed in sterile conditions and will likely not need any cleaning at all. For farmed, un-packaged mushrooms, I give them a quick wipe with a cloth to remove any bits of dirt they may have picked up from rolling around in the open case.

Serving Suggestions

This wonderfully rich lasagne screams to be served with a tangy green salad dressed with unmeasured drizzles of vinegar, good olive oil and nothing more. Roasted broccoli or broccolini would also make fabulous sides.

Make Ahead And Storing Suggestions

It is a great idea to assemble and refrigerate this lasagna a day, or two before you bake it. Not it only does it make the day you bake it a breeze, but the no-boil noodles have time to soften before they are baked.

• Make ahead: Assemble the lasagne in the baking dish in its entirety. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Remove plastic wrap, cover with foil and bake as instructed, adding 10 to 15 minutes total cooking time if it is still fridge-cold.
• To store: Cool any leftovers completely, then wrap well in plastic and aluminum foil so it will not dry out. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• To reheat: Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes, or until heated through.

***If you give this Mushroom Lasagna recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!

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