Lasagna With Roasted Beets And Herb Béchamel

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 3/4 lbs red beets (about 6 medium-size)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons shallots, minced
• 3 tablespoons flour, sifted
• 2 3/4 cups skim milk
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• salt and pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup tarragon or 1/4 cup chives or 1/4 cup parsley, fresh and finely chopped
• 1/2 lb no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated (about 1 cup)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• 2 cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about 1/4 inch of stems.
• 3 scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or lidded ovenproof casserole. add 1/4 inch water to the dish. cover tightly. place in the oven and roast 40 to 45 minutes, until the beets are easily penetrated with the tip of a knife.
• 4 remove from the oven and allow to cool in the dish.
• 5 cut away the ends and slip off the skins.
• 6 slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and set aside.
• 7 meanwhile, make the béchamel. heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• 8 stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and bubbling, but not browned. it should have the texture of wet sand.
• 9 whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken.
• 10 turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw flour taste.
• 11 season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• 12 strain while hot into a large measuring cup or a medium bowl and stir in the chopped herbs and 1/4 cup of the parmesan.
• 13 preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 14 oil a rectangular baking dish.
• 15 spread a spoonful of béchamel over the bottom.
• 16 top with a layer of lasagna noodles. spoon a thin layer of the béchamel over the noodles. top with a layer of beets. dot with half of the ricotta and sprinkle with parmesan.
• 17 repeat the layers, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles topped with béchamel and parmesan.
• 18 make sure the noodles are well coated with béchamel so they will be sure to soften during baking.
• 19 cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. bake 40 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the mixture is bubbling.
• 20 uncover and, if you wish, bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the top begins to brown.
• 21 remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
• 22 advance preparation: you can assemble this up to a day ahead and refrigerate, or freeze for a month. the lasagna can be baked several hours ahead and reheated in a medium oven.