Lasagna is one of those dishes that is a labor of love, with layers of pasta, sauce, meat, vegetables, herbs, and plenty of cheese! Many people just choose to get their lasagna from a grocery store freezer section because of the amount of labor it takes to pull it off, but what if there was a way to make it in just one skillet?
This one-pan spinach and mushroom lasagna capture all of the flavors of a painstakingly made pasta without the struggle. It’s a rich sauce flavored with mushrooms, garlic, leeks, and herbs simmered on a stovetop and finished in the broiler. Since we have some extra time on our hands, we decided to make some crispy leeks to top the lasagna. And it’s vegetarian, so it must be kinda healthy, right?
Lasagna is possibly one of the oldest types of pasta, made from wide, flat sheets rather than cut noodles. Its wide noodles make baking into a casserole the most straightforward way to use them, but
simmering them in a sauce works to cook them
too, which is how we cook them here.
Lasagna originated in Italy at some point during the middle ages and was ascribed to the city of Naples specifically. The first recorded recipe was written in the early 14th-century Liber de Coquina (The Book of Cookery). It was originally a fermented dough flattened into thin sheets, boiled, sprinkled with cheese and spices, and then eaten with a pointed stick.
Recipes written in the century following Liber de Coquina recommended boiling the pasta in chicken broth and topping it with chicken fat. A little different than the lasagna we are familiar with today!
This recipe starts with a large skillet (that can hold approximately 2 quarts) and a pound of sliced mushrooms cooked in olive oil. We used brown beech mushrooms and shiitake, but any kinds of mushrooms work. We tend to stay away from the basic white cap or crimini, so challenge yourself to try something new too! Maitake, Lion’s Mane, and Blue Oyster all make great options, but feel free to mix it up with whatever you can get your hands on.
Mushrooms are the best when you cook them over high heat, so once the oil is shimmering, add mushrooms and cook until they are well browned, anywhere from 8-12 minutes total. The spinach is added and cooked until wilted before herbs including thyme, sage, and parsley are added. This mixture will be used between the layers of the pasta as flavoring and texture!
In your now-empty skillet, reduce heat and sautee sliced leeks and garlic until fragrant (One of the best smells ever in my opinion!). Add flour to create a roux and cook for another minute before adding milk, water, lemon zest, and some salt. Once it starts simmering you’ll add sour cream for extra creaminess in the final product.
Now comes the fun part, layering the lasagna! In the sauce, you’ll add a third of the uncooked lasagna noodles, followed by a third of the mushroom-spinach mixture. Top this with another third of pasta and another third of the mushroom-spinach mixture. Finally, top with remaining lasagna noodles and push down to make sure everything is submerged into the sauce, reserving a third of the mushroom mix for topping later. Cover with a lid and cook on very low heat for 15 minutes.
Since you’ll have some extra time because this recipe is so convenient, we decided to up the ante with some crispy leeks! It’s a super easy technique but totally optional. Oil is heated to 350F degrees and thinly sliced leeks are added to the hot oil and cooked until they stop bubbling. The leeks boil up a lot, so it’s best to use a high-sided saucepot and small batches of leeks at a time. Once they almost stop bubbling, remove from oil onto a paper-towel-lined plate and season lightly with salt while hot.
Once the 15 minutes is up, remove the lid and stir gently to make sure everything is cooking evenly, and cook for another 10 minutes. In the meantime, heat a broiler (if you have one). Top the lasagna with sliced fresh mozzarella and the remaining mushroom mixture. Broil the lasagna until the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots. Remove from oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
Now all that is left to do is divide it up into plates (or bowls, depending on your preference), garnish with crispy leeks, more parmesan cheese, and freshly cracked black pepper. So simple but so delicious! Enjoy while warm.
One-Pan Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna
This one-pan wonder meal has layers of flavor between layers of pasta noodles. The umami-rich mushrooms flavor the creamy sauce and are complemented with leeks, baby spinach, garlic, and lemon zest. The optional crispy leeks are a great crunchy topping!
Recipe and Photography by Sam Burgess
Forge To Table Knives
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 5
Ingredients:
Lasagna:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
16 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced (we used shiitake and brown beech mushrooms)
4 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup leek (whites or light green), finely sliced
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, finely grated (~6 cloves)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2-¾ cups whole milk
1-¾ cups water
1-¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon lemon zest
â…“ cup sour cream or whole milk yogurt
8 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles, broken in half
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Finely grated Parmesan (for serving)
Crispy Leeks:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup leek (light green), julienned thinly
Directions:
MUSHROOM MIX. Heat 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet or small Dutch oven over medium-high. Add sliced mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir occasionally until golden brown, 5 minutes more, before adding the baby spinach and cooking until it is just wilted, another minute. Remove from heat and stir in thyme, sage, parsley, and a pinch of salt. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.
AROMATICS. Reduce heat to medium-low. In the now-empty skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Add sliced leeks and grated garlic and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 1 minute. Sprinkle flour and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute.
SAUCE. Slowly whisk in milk, water, lemon zest, and 1-¾ teaspoon salt. Stir to dissolve flour, increase heat to medium, and cook until gently bubbling. Reduce heat to low and whisk in sour cream or (whole milk yogurt).
LAYER. Add about one-third of uncooked lasagna noodles, pushing down into sauce to submerge, followed by a third of the mushroom mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining noodles and mushrooms, and finally top with another layer of noodles. Set remaining mushrooms aside. Cover with a lid (or foil) and cook on low for 15 minutes.
CRISPY LEEKS-OPTIONAL. Meanwhile, cut the leek in half, and slice into 2-inch sections. Following the long side, use your Forge To Table knife to slice the leek into julienne slices. Add at least two inches of oil into a tall-sided saucepot and heat until it reaches 350F degrees. Carefully add a small handful of leeks into the hot oil, and they will bubble intensely for about 10 seconds, then chill out. Once they are golden brown and almost no bubbling remainings, remove from oil with tweezers or a small wire spider onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Season lightly with salt and repeat the process with remaining sliced leeks.
FINISH COOKING. When time is up, uncover the lasagna, and cook, gently lifting and separating noodles with tongs or a spatula to let sauce flow around, until sauce is thickened and noodles are cooked through, about 10 minutes more. The mixture should be bubbling gently; adjust heat as necessary. Remove from heat.
TOPPING. Heat broiler. Top lasagna with mozzarella and reserved mushrooms. Broil until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, about 2-4 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest at least 5 minutes.
GARNISH. Garnish the lasagna with freshly grated parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper, and crispy leeks (if using). Enjoy!
Chef’s Notes:
If lasagna threatens to boil over, use the lowest heat or prop open the cover.
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