Creamy, basil bechamel sauce. Earthy roasted vegetables. Bright and herby pesto. Sharp romano cheese and creamy ricotta. A thick layer of melty, bubbly mozzarella. Sound good? This White Lasagna with Basil Pesto takes those elements and combines them into one of the most comforting dishes possible. You won’t miss the marinara sauce or meat in this lasagna at all – it’s one of a kind and different in a good way. This is the perfect dish to prepare as the days get short and the nights get cold because each bite is like a warm hug. Your time preparing this lasagna will be well spent from the moment you start to smell it bubbling away in the oven. Even more so if you make two and freeze one for later! This lasagna also works great as a make ahead meal for the holidays and family gatherings of any kind.
There’s few dishes more comforting than ones that involve pasta and cheese. This lasgana has *plenty* of both. I even included a thick layer of mozzarella on the top so that every piece has plenty of melty, bubbly cheese to go around. This lasagna is also perfect as a make-ahead meal for the holidays. This would stand in deliciously as a meat-free main course for any holiday gathering.
Even if you plan to have a more traditional main dish, this lasagna is great to have on the side, as a backup for extra guests, or simply on a Tuesday night because you feel like it.
Looking for other cozy pasta dishes? Try these:
Creamy Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, and White Wine Chicken
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Burrata and Toasted Breadcrumbs
The heart of this lasagna is the basil bechamel sauce. This is what I used to replace the sauciness usually provided by marinara. This sauce is as simple to make as a traditional bechamel – butter, flour, milk – but with a twist of blending basil in at the end. This recipe makes a little extra sauce because that’s always better than running out!
The vegetables also need a little love, but it’s so worth it. Roasting the zucchini and eggplant ahead of time keeps them from adding too much water to the lasgana and gives them a little deeper flavor. The eggplant is one of my favorite parts – it becomes so creamy and smooth that it just melts right into the lasagna.
When assembling, I like to use two different layers – one with the cheese and pesto and one with the bechamel and vegetables. This way, you get more layers in the final lasagna and that means more layers of tender pasta.
Trust me, this dish will be the first to disappear from any table.
I hope you love this White Lasagna with Basil Pesto as much as I do! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pictures @fortheperfectbite or use #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.
White Lasagna with Basil Pesto
Equipment
- Immersion or Traditional Blender
Ingredients
Basil Bechemel
- 6 tbsp butter
- 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 ¾ cup milk
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup fresh basil, packed
Lasagna
- 2 small zucchinis
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- ¾ cup basil pesto (storebought or homemade)
- 1 cup romano cheese, grated
- 2 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella grated
Instructions
Basil Bechamel
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter until smooth and bubbling.
- Cook the flour until just barely turning golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, stirring constantly to remove clumps (if you are very worried about clumping, heating the milk before mixing can help). Bring the sauce to a boil.
- Lower the heat and whisk the sauce until thickened, about 4 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Remove from the heat and using an immersion blender or traditional blender, blend the basil into the sauce until smooth.
Prepare the Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Using a knife or mandoline, slice the zucchinis into ¼ inch thick circles. Lightly salt the circles, then place them into a baking dish. Bake the zucchini slices at 300°F for 20-30 minutes until partially cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside. This step will reduce the amount of moisture added to the lasagna from the zucchinis.
- Raise the oven temperature to 375°F.
- Slice the eggplants in half, score each half in a cross-wise pattern, and lightly drizzle with olive oil.
- Roast the eggplants on a baking sheet for 45 minutes until soft. Allow to cool, then scoop out the flesh.
Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Ensure your bechamel sauce and veggies are prepared. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Boil the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. When you drain them, lightly drizzle with olive oil and gently mix to combine. This will keep them easier to work with.
- Assemble the lasagna: In a large baking dish, spread a layer of basil bechamel over the bottom. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread with pesto and ricotta cheese, sprinkle with romano cheese, then top with another layer of lasagna noodles. Cover this layer with more bechamel, then top with zucchini and eggplant, followed by more noodles (the eggplant will be very soft, use your fingers to spread it). Repeat this process, dividing the ingredients evenly among the layers. When you reach the top of the baking dish, sprinkle the mozzarella over the top of the lasagna.
- If you're making this ahead, cover and refrigerate until read to cook. When ready to bake, cover the lasagna with foil, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbling and starting to brown (if baking from refrigerated, add 5-10 minutes to the baking time).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve.
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Based on 10 Review(s)
