Spring Vegetable White Sauce Lasagna

Steps

1. 1
   Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the thinly sliced shallots until fragrant.
2. 2
   Add diced zucchini and chopped asparagus, cooking for 5-6 minutes until tender.
3. 3
   Stir in the peas and cook for a couple more minutes to keep their bright color.
4. 4
   Mix in the thawed spinach and warm through. Season with salt and stir in generous amounts of fresh chopped parsley and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
5. 5
   Make the béchamel: in a pot, combine equal parts butter and flour to make a roux and cook for about 1 minute until the flour is no longer raw.
6. 6
   Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth white sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper. When the sauce thickens, add a pinch of nutmeg and remove from heat.
7. 7
   In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, salt, and pepper to create a binding mixture.
8. 8
   Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom.
9. 9
   Layer no-boil lasagna noodles with slight overlap, add a good layer of béchamel sauce, then spread half of the ricotta mixture over it.
10. 10
    Top with half of the vegetable mixture, then sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
11. 11
    Repeat steps 9-10 to create a second complete layer.
12. 12
    Top with a final layer of lasagna noodles, spread the remaining béchamel sauce evenly over the pasta, and generously sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
13. 13
    Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 45 minutes.
14. 14
    Remove the foil and bake for another 15-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
15. 15
    Remove from oven and let rest for about 1 hour before slicing. This allows the layers to set properly and prevents the filling from running when you cut into it.
16. 16
    Slice into portions and serve hot.