Mixed Mushroom Free-Form Lasagne

It's Friday and time for another edition of Presto Pasta Night hosted by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

This week I'll be using these dried lasagna sheets

but not to make a traditional lasagne.

I've opted for a more free-form style to produce a somewhat lighter dish. A mix of mushrooms are sautéed with garlic, onion and pine nuts and then finished with a little crème fraîche to create a bit of a sauce.

The cooked lasagna sheet is folded in thirds with a combination of mushroom and ripped bocconcini forming the filling on each of the three folds. It's finally given a light dusting of grated parmesan and then baked in the oven until the bocconcini begins to melt and the top browns.

Mixed Mushroom Free-Form Lasagne

lasagne sheets, cooked
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
portobello mushrooms, sliced
swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
oyster mushrooms, sliced
shimenji mushrooms
pinenuts, handful
crème fraîche (or cream)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
bocconcini, roughly torn (or mozzarella)
finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Slowly sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil and butter until softened.

Remove the onions from the pan, increase the heat and sauté the various mushrooms - it's best done this way as I don't want the mushrooms to stew, but I do want to give them some colour.

When the mushrooms are nicely coloured, return the onion mixture to the pan along with a handful of pine nuts - turn down the heat and cook for a few more minutes. The mushrooms will now release some of their excess moisture and this will be used to help form the sauce.

As a final touch, remove from the heat and stir through a spoonful of crème fraîche, taste and then season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Assemble the dish:

Take one sheet of cooked lasagna sheet and place on a baking paper lined oven tray.

Place a good spoonful of the mushroom mixture over one-third of the sheet, top with a little ripped bocconcini.

Fold the pasta sheet back over the filling.

On this flat surface add a little more of the mushroom mix with a little more ripped bocconcini.

Fold the remaining pasta back over itself.

You will have an s-shaped stack.

Top with a little more mushroom along with some grated Parmesan.

Bake in a preheated 160°C/320°F oven until heated through and the bocconcini has melted.

For me, this dish just speaks of autumn, flavoursome and nourishing without being too heavy - a perfect treat for a weekend lunch.

Pasta