That smell — foaming hot butter, warming flour, then milk rising in white steam — that’s the béchamel starting. When it joins green asparagus and two cheeses in a lasagna dish, you’ve got something truly special. A weekend recipe, no rushing allowed.
Ingredients :
- Green asparagus — Firm stalks, tight heads, no soft bending. Avoid those that start to flower at the tip — they’ve waited too long. The pre-cooking is short on purpose: 5 minutes max in boiling water, otherwise they become mushy in the oven.
- Turkey ham — This is the substitution for pork ham that works really well here. Get decent quality, not too thinly sliced. Cut into coarse strips, it holds better between layers and you can really taste it in every bite.
- Mozzarella — Not the fresh ball kept in whey — too wet, it will make your lasagna soggy. Get the dry mozzarella in a block or shredded, made for melting in the oven. The difference is immediate.
- Parmesan — Buy it in a block and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded bags stay dusty and don’t form a proper crust. A 100 g block is just a few euros and changes everything.
