Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna

Have I mentioned my intense love for lasagna? Maybe here or here? Like Garfield love for lasagna. This is a spring favorite for me, it's from the 2006 or so April issue of Vegetarian Times.

You'll need:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups low-fat milk, divided
• 6 Tbs. pesto, or more to taste
• 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish, optional
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 1/4 lb. asparagus spears, tips cut off and reserved, spears trimmed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
• 16 no-cook lasagna noodles (9 oz.)
• 2 cups shredded Fontina or mozzarella cheese (8 oz.), divided

    First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour and 1/2 cup milk in saucepan until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk. Make sure to do this quickly so the flour doesn't clump up on you. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in pesto, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Set 1 cup of the pesto mix to the side. 


    Then, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped asparagus (not tips) and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

    The recipe calls for a 13x9 inch pan, so it's great if you are having a lot of company over. This recipe is a bit too green for Mr. K so, I was looking at a lot of leftovers. I used my super cute bunny dishes to make individual servings. I saved the rest to make into pizza. Assemble your lasagna by layering your asparagus, sauce, and cheese. Repeat. Arrange the asparagus tips on the top layer to make it pretty. If you are using the standard pan, bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes. I baked mine for about 18 minutes.

Have a lovely day!