Mushroom Lasagna with White Sauce

They left on Saturday morning, the same leaving that every family visit ends with, the car retreating down the drive and the silence returning. Two weeks this time rather than one, which meant the return of quiet was more pronounced. I stood on the porch until I couldn't see the car and then I went inside and made coffee and sat with it.

The house carries evidence of them for a while after they're gone. Finn's fingerprints on the glass door. Teddy's knife — he left it, deliberately, on the knife block, saying it would be there for next time. Jim's borrowed work gloves hanging by the barn door. Sarah's handwriting on a note on the refrigerator: more vinegar, I used all of yours. Small inventories of people you love.

Made a long dinner that evening — not an elaborate one, but a patient one. Braised pork with white beans, the kind of thing that simmers for four hours and fills the house. I needed the house to smell like something and I needed something to tend to and this provided both. I ate it at the kitchen table with the radio on and thought about what the summer had been and what remained of it.

August is coming. The garden is at its peak. The tomatoes are going to start in earnest this week, I can see it — the plants heavy with fruit just beginning to color. All the promise of March, delivered. The summer is exactly what the summer was supposed to be. That seems like the right note to end the week on.

The braised pork was right for that particular Saturday — the long simmer, the low heat, the house filling up with something — and this mushroom lasagna hits the same note in a different key. It’s the kind of recipe that asks you to stay in the kitchen, to layer things carefully, to wait. If you find yourself in a quiet house with more time than you expected and a need to put your hands to something unhurried, this is where I’d point you.

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

12 lasagna noodles (regular or no-boil)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, warmed
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella, divided
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Instructions

Cook the noodles. If using regular lasagna noodles, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and lay flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent sticking. Skip this step for no-boil noodles.
Sauté the mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute more. Add the mushrooms in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and cook without stirring for 3–4 minutes until golden. Stir and continue cooking until all liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes total. Add white wine if using and cook until absorbed. Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Make the white sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute until pale golden and nutty-smelling. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, and salt to taste.
Preheat and prepare. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Assemble the lasagna. Spread a thin layer of white sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Lay 3 noodles across. Spread 1/3 of the mushroom mixture evenly over the noodles, then spoon over 1/4 of the remaining white sauce, and scatter with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat the layers two more times (noodles, mushrooms, sauce, mozzarella). Finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining white sauce spread evenly to the edges, and top with remaining mozzarella and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Bake. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20–25 minutes until the top is bubbling and deeply golden in spots. Let rest uncovered for 15 minutes before cutting — this step matters; the layers need time to settle.
Serve. Cut into squares and scatter with chopped parsley. Serve with a simple green salad and good bread to catch the sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mushroom Lasagna with White Sauce — Something to Tend To