Recipe - Baked Lasagna With Asparagus And Pesto

1 pound Asparagus, mediumsized
1 Recipe basic pasta, rolled
to thinnest setting, on
pasta machine
2 cup Salsa balsamella
1 cup Pesto sauce
1 cup Grated pecorino sardo
One half cup Bread crumbs

PESTO SAUCE
3 tablespoon Pine nuts
2 cup Fresh basil leaves, picolo
fino
1 Clove garlic
1 pn Sea salt
One fourth cup Freshly grated parmigiano
3 tablespoon Freshly grated pecorino
5 ounce Ligurian extra virgin olive
oil

In a large stone mortar, place pine nuts, basil, garlic and salt and grind
with a pestle until paste. Add cheeses and drizzle in olive oil, beating
with a wooden spoon. Store in jars, topped with extra virgin olive oil.

To Prepare Baked Lasagna Dish:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Bring 6 quarts water to boil and add 2 tablespoons
salt. Set up ice bath next to boiling water.

Trim asparagus and boil one minute. Drain and refresh in ice bath. Remove,
drain well, and cut into 4inch to 5inch pieces and set aside.

Cut pasta into 5inch squares and drop into same boiling water as
asparagus. Cook one minute until tender. Remove and refresh in ice bath.
Drain on towels and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir balsamella, pesto, and grated cheese together until
mixed well. Butter 4 gratin dishes and place one piece of 5inch pasta on
the bottom of each one. On top of pasta, place the following: 3 pieces of
asparagus, followed by 2 tablespoons pesto, followed by another piece of
pasta. Continue with this layering until you have 4 pieces of pasta and 4
layers of asparagus and pesto mixture. Lay one more piece of pasta on top,
followed by a spoonful of pesto mixture and sprinkle each of the 4 gratin
dishes with bread crumbs. Put all 4 dishes in oven and bake for 12 to 15
minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown on top. Remove and serve
immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe by: Molto Mario MB1D32 Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #631 by Sue
suechef@sover.net on Jun 01, 1997