White Lasagna with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower

Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel off the outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts and discard them. Trim off each stem end and cut each in half. Remove leaves and center core from cauliflower and cut into bite-sized pieces. Spread the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower in a single layer on a large rimmed cookie sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a small sprinkle of salt. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender and resist slightly when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and saute for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, until it begins to brown. Using a whisk, gradually add the chicken broth and half-and-half. Increase heat to medium high and cook until it reaches a light boil, whisking occasionally, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Once it begins to boil, constantly whisk for about 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the salt and nutmeg.

The original recipe for this lasagna calls for soaking the noodles first in hot tap water. Instead of soaking, I just rinsed each noodle quickly (about 10 seconds each) under the running kitchen faucet (hot water). It’s much easier than getting out another dish!

Spray a large casserole dish (at least 9 x 13) with cooking spray. Evenly spread about 3/4 cup of roasted vegetables on the bottom of the dish and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of Fontina cheese over top. Drizzle about 1/2 cup of sauce on top and place 3 uncooked (and rinsed) lasagna noodles on top.

Layer about 1 cup of roasted vegetables on top of the first layer of noodles. Top with about 1/2 cup of Fontina and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Drizzle with about 1 cup of white sauce. Top with another 3 rinsed noodles. Repeat these layers two more times. On top of the final layer of noodles, drizzle the remaining white sauce and top with the remainder of the cheese … Fontina first, followed by Parmesan.

Spray a sheet of foil lightly with cooking spray so it does not stick to the cheese. Cover the dish with the foil (sprayed side down) and bake at 400 F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle the top evenly with pine nuts. Set your oven to broil and put the lasagna under the broiler until the nuts and cheese are nicely browned and bubbly (at least 5 minutes). Make sure to watch closely so it does not burn.

Remove dish from oven and set it on a rack. Allow lasagna to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 8-10.

Adapted from a recipe for four-cheese lasagna, found in Cook’s Illustrated magazine.