Pistachio lasagna, the Sicilian recipe for the best pistachio lasagna with white ragù you will ever taste, a great suggestion for a festive menu and a dish even more tempting than the famous Pasta with pistachio pesto. The lasagna with white ragù and pistachios are a delicious twist on the classic lasagna with red ragù, an original and flavorful recipe to create alternative and tasty baked lasagna that will surprise everyone.
In my home the white ragù is much appreciated — it has a milder flavor and is much easier to digest than the classic Sicilian ragù — it pairs well with many ingredients and is perfect with pistachios and dried fruit in general. A few days ago I wanted to prepare an original and tasty first course for Sunday, a first course to impress, one that could win over my guests, so I thought of lasagna, but not the traditional baked lasagna with sauce; instead I made pistachio lasagna with white ragù — new and special. I bought the ingredients on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning I tackled a recipe that conquered everyone and although my pistachio lasagna pan was more than generous, I assure you it disappeared in no time and not a single crumb was left. Are you ready to discover my pistachio and meat lasagna recipe? Let’s go to the kitchen then, but before rolling up our sleeves I remind you that if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my page Facebook and my profile Instagram.

Take a look:

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Medium
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 8
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients to make Pistachio Lasagna with White Ragù

9 oz ground pork
9 oz ground beef
2 carrots (medium)
1 onion (large)
to taste extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine (about 3.4 fl oz)
to taste salt
4 1/4 cups milk (about 1 L (33.8 fl oz))
3 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp butter
to taste salt
to taste nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmesan (about 3.5 oz)
1 2/3 cup pistachio flour (about 7 oz)
to taste black pepper
ragù (all of the ragù prepared above)
béchamel (pistachio béchamel just made)
1 1/3 lb mozzarella-style stretched-curd cheese (about 600 g)
3.5 oz unsalted pistachios (about 1 cup)
9 oz thin egg lasagna sheets

Tools

Pots
Baking dish
Stove
Oven
Whisk

Steps to make pistachio lasagna

Let’s start with the ragù: peel and chop the onion and carrots after rinsing. Sauté everything in a good drizzle of oil and let soften; if you have celery and like it, add 1 rib finely chopped as well.
Add the meat and let it “dry” over high heat, pour in the wine and once evaporated season with salt, add 1 glass of water and cook over low heat for 45 minutes.
Prepare the pistachio béchamel.
Let the butter melt over low heat, add the flour and, increasing the heat slightly, let it brown while stirring continuously.
Add the milk little by little, taking care not to form lumps, helping yourself with a whisk.
You should obtain a very fluid béchamel, so if it seems thin don’t worry — it will thicken slightly as it cools.
Season with salt, add nutmeg, a sprinkle of pepper and transfer to a bowl.
Add the grated cheese and the pistachio flour and mix together.
If you can’t find pistachio flour, buy unsalted pistachios, shell them and keep them in the freezer for about 1 hour, then blend until you obtain a fine flour.
Assemble the lasagna. Grate the cheese with a coarse grater, spread a layer of béchamel on the bottom of the baking dish, then a layer of lasagna sheets — since we are using thin sheets they do not need to be pre-cooked or blanched. On top of the lasagna spread a little ragù evenly, a little of the freshly grated cheese, some pistachios and the pistachio sauce.
Cover with more lasagna sheets and repeat the layers until finished.
Cover the last layer with pistachio béchamel, grated cheese and whole pistachios. Bake in a conventional oven at 392°F for 35 minutes (or follow the package instructions). Remove from the oven, cover with a cloth, let rest for 10-15 minutes and serve hot, melty and creamy.
Pistachio lasagna is best enjoyed hot and just out of the oven; any leftovers can be refrigerated and consumed within 2 days after reheating.