Lasagna with cooked ham and Taleggio. If you are looking for a main dish that is a true hug of flavors and textures, you have found the right recipe.
These lasagnas combine the elegance of a velvety béchamel sauce with the rustic character of sautéed mushrooms, balanced by the savory taste of cooked ham and the aromatic hint of Taleggio.
In this recipe, I used homemade pasta for a superb result, but if you are short on time, you can easily use ready-made fresh pasta (which often doesn’t need blanching) or dry lasagna pasta.
Useful tip for dry pasta: Blanch it first according to the package instructions, or a trick is to keep the béchamel more fluid, which will help the pasta soften during cooking.
Regarding the béchamel sauce, we can make it at home or, to make the recipe even faster, use the ready-made one.
I’ll also share the recipe for light béchamel and the gluten-free version with rice milk.
If you don’t like Taleggio, you can replace it with another soft cheese that melts well, like Fontina, smoked Scamorza (for a more pronounced touch), or well-drained Mozzarella.
Instead of Cooked Ham, the lasagna will be equally delicious if you use Speck cut into cubes or strips. Speck will add a smoky note that pairs perfectly with the mushrooms!
I used a mix of mixed mushrooms to enrich the flavor, but the recipe works perfectly also with just Champignon Mushrooms. If you prefer, you can also use Porcini Mushrooms (fresh or rehydrated dried) for an even more exquisite version.
Each layer is a small masterpiece of taste. Perfectly cooked in the oven, but you can achieve an excellent and even quicker result using the air fryer (adjusting times and temperature according to your model).
Perfect for Christmas and New Year’s festive tables, it encloses a delicious and always loved filling, creamy and flavorful. A simple way to bring taste and joy to the table. Let’s see how to prepare it right away!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Electric oven, Air frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
Lasagna with Cooked Ham and Taleggio
- 1.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.75 semolina flour
- 3 eggs
- to taste salt
- 28 oz champignon mushrooms (or mixed)
- 7 oz cooked ham (thinly sliced, diced, or in strips)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 8 oz Taleggio (or provola, fontina, or mozzarella)
- to taste salt
- 3.5 oz Parmesan
- pepper
- to taste parsley
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 quart milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3.5 oz butter
- to taste salt
- to taste nutmeg
Tools
- Pasta machines
- Air fryers
- Pastry board
- Frying pan
- Pot
Steps
Lasagna with Cooked Ham and Taleggio
“I should preface that I preferred to make the lasagna by hand at home, but store-bought ones are fine too”.
(If you use ready-made lasagna, this step can obviously be skipped).
For the lasagna recipe, prepare the pasta: pour the flour onto the pastry board and make a well.
Place the eggs and a pinch of salt in the center.
Work first with a fork then, for a long time, with your hands, until the dough is dry, firm, and elastic.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30/40 minutes.
After the time.
Roll out the dough using a rolling pin or a pasta machine, reducing the thickness with each pass.
Cut rectangles of about 4.7×7.9 inches.
Let them rest.
Boil your reserved lasagna in salted boiling water for 1 min, a few at a time; to prevent them from sticking, pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the water.
Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon, dip them in cold water, and then place them on a cloth if you need to wait.
Clean the mushrooms: remove the lower part of the stem with the dirt, peel the cap, and lightly scrape the stem with a knife. Quickly rinse them under cold running water, then dry them and cut them into fairly thin slices.
and cut them into slices.
Place in a pan with a drizzle of oil and the garlic clove in its skin.
Cook until tender, at the end of cooking season with salt, pepper, and fresh chopped parsley.If you want more flavor, I suggest …… adding some leaves of Thyme or Marjoram to the mushrooms during cooking for a more complex aromatic profile.
To prepare homemade béchamel, first, heat the milk in a saucepan.
In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, being careful not to burn it.
Lower the heat to the minimum, add the sifted flour, and stir quickly until you get a hazelnut-colored cream, the so-called roux, which acts as a binding base.Add the hot milk and stir with a whisk until you get a dense consistency; add salt and a pinch of grated nutmeg.
Your béchamel is ready!
Cut the Taleggio into small cubes.
Spread a ladle of béchamel on the bottom of the baking dish.
Place the freshly prepared lasagna sheets on top.
Add the béchamel, mushrooms, cooked ham, Taleggio cubes, and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Continue layering until all ingredients are used, ensuring to end with a layer of pasta well covered with béchamel and grated cheese.Obviously, between the various layers, there should not be a lack of grated cheese. Be generous.
Bake in a preheated oven at 374-392°F covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes.
Then remove the foil and continue baking for about 10-15 minutes, until a nice crust forms on the surface.Air fryer cooking It’s essential to use a baking dish that fits perfectly in your air fryer basket. (20 – 25 minutes).
Bake.. For the first 15 minutes, if you notice that the surface is browning too quickly, cover the dish with aluminum foil.Remove it only for the last 5-10 minutes to form the crust.
Times: Cooking times may vary slightly depending on the power of your air fryer and the thickness of the lasagna.Always check the cooking after 20 minutes!
Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy your meal.
Tips
To ensure that your béchamel doesn’t form lumps, make sure the milk added to the roux is warm or at room temperature, not boiling.
Pour it slowly and stir vigorously with a whisk.
If you find it difficult to cut Taleggio into cubes because it’s too soft, put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before using it. It will become firmer and easier to handle.
If you use dry pasta and don’t want to blanch it, make sure to generously spread the first layer of béchamel on the bottom and, as mentioned, make the béchamel more fluid to let the pasta hydrate and cook perfectly.
Storage
The cooked lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. To reheat them, use the traditional oven (at 320°F) or the air fryer for about 10 minutes, covering with aluminum to prevent drying.
You can freeze the lasagna either raw (already assembled in the dish) or cooked.
If freezing raw: thaw in the refrigerator for 12 hours, then bake.
If freezing cooked: portion, cool, and freeze. Reheat directly from frozen in the oven at 338°F (it will take more time, about 40-50 minutes).
Wine Pairing
Given the richness of the dish (béchamel, mushrooms, Taleggio), it pairs well with a white wine of good structure, aromatic and not too acidic, like a Pinot Bianco or a Soave Classico.
If you prefer a red wine, choose a young, light, and fruity one, like a Dolcetto d’Alba served chilled.
If you prefer a red wine, choose a young, light, and fruity one, like a Dolcetto d’Alba served chilled.
FAQ
Can I make it vegetarian?
Add an extra 2-4 oz of Taleggio or introduce another cheese with an intense flavor, such as smoked Scamorza cubes or Brie (which melts very well) to compensate for the missing meat flavor.
If you have the option, use a mix of mushrooms that includes dried Porcini rehydrated (or fresh), also adding some leaves of Thyme or Marjoram to the mushrooms during cooking for a more complex aromatic profile.
