Caramelized Onion Lasagna

By pikassob

This unusual lasagna with portobello mushrooms, sweet onions, spinach and Gorgonzola cheese has a rich, complex flavor. It's also great with goat cheese instead of Gorgonzola, if you prefer.

(The other change was substituting pine nuts for walnuts and it turned out to be a good choice. I put 2 cloves of minced garlic in the oil for the white sause as well as a pinch of nutmeg. I also added some grated Romano cheese to finish the sauce. I loved the delicate flavors and would make again with the changes I made to this great recipe.)

Ingredients

• 8 oz lasagna noodles, preferably whole-wheat
• Caramelized Onion Filling
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium portobello mushroom caps (diced)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Spinach & Cheese Filling
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• White Sauce & Topping
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-fat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Details

Preparation time 70mins
Cooking time 100mins

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot and cover with cool water.

To prepare onion filling: Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and very soft, about 25 minutes. (If they begin to stick, add water 1/4 cup at a time to release them and prevent burning.) Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add wine and 1 teaspoon salt and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pepper.

To prepare spinach filling: Place spinach, ricotta, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and process until smooth.

To prepare white sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until bubbling, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until the sauce has the consistency of thick gravy, about 1 minute. Add Gorgonzola and gently whisk until it is melted. Remove from the heat. (The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.)

To assemble lasagna: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Drain the noodles and spread out on a kitchen towel. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in the prepared pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the spinach filling over the noodles and top with one-third of the onion filling. Evenly spread 1/2 cup white sauce over the onions. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining spinach filling, half the remaining onion filling and half the remaining white sauce. To finish, top with a third layer of noodles, spread the remaining onion filling over the noodles and then spread or dollop the remaining white sauce on top. Sprinkle with walnuts and basil.

Bake until hot and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.