Perfect for Sunday lunch or a special occasion, such as Easter or Christmas, the white lasagna with artichokes and cooked ham offers a delicate and refined alternative to the classic bolognese lasagna. Their strong point? A soft and creamy taste, without the addition of tomato. Preparing them at home is easier than you think! You can use homemade egg pasta sheets (here you’ll find the gluten-free version), buy ready-made ones or, as I did, replace the traditional sheets with homemade crepes for an even more special touch. The artichokes, after being cooked in a pan, are blended – leaving some in pieces for a pleasant texture contrast – and mixed with the béchamel, mozzarella, and Parmesan between each layer of lasagna, alternating them with slices of ham. The lasagna with artichokes and cooked ham is a rich, enveloping, and irresistible dish that can conquer everyone at the first taste!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter, Spring
- Energy 557.20 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 62.90 (g) of which sugars 9.84 (g)
- Proteins 25.40 (g)
- Fat 23.71 (g) of which saturated 12.60 (g)of which unsaturated 7.21 (g)
- Fibers 7.13 (g)
- Sodium 1,724.45 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 300 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for an Artichoke Lasagna for 8 People
If you are celiac, besides using gluten-free lasagna or gluten-free crepes and gluten-free béchamel, remember that the cooked ham must also have the “gluten-free” label on it.
- 6 artichokes (violetti type, or 5 mammole)
- 1 lb egg lasagna sheets (or 16 crepes with 8-inch diameter)
- 5 oz cooked ham (sliced)
- 7 oz mozzarella
- 4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 2 cups béchamel
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 leaves mint
- to taste salt
- 1 knob butter
- 1 lemon (for cleaning the artichokes)
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan large, with a lid
- 1 Baking dish about 13×9.5 inches
- 1 Immersion blender
How to Prepare the Lasagna with Artichokes and Cooked Ham
To prepare the white lasagna with artichokes and cooked ham, start by cleaning the artichokes (here is the video tutorial): remove part of the stem (1), then start peeling off the outer leaves (2), and as you get closer to the heart of the artichoke, remove only the upper part of the leaves, at the point where it breaks (3).
Finally, cut the tips with a knife (4). Remove the outer and green part of the artichoke base (5) and do the same with the remaining piece of stem (6).
Cut the artichoke in half and remove the choke (7), then cut it into chunks (8). As you clean the artichokes, place them in plenty of cold water with lemon juice (9).
In a large pan, heat the garlic clove in the oil, then add the artichokes (10) and sauté them for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt and mint leaves (11), add a splash of water, and cook covered for about ten minutes (12).
When the artichokes are soft (13), remove the garlic, turn off the heat, and transfer about two-thirds of the artichokes to a bowl. Using an immersion blender, puree them (14), then add the remaining pieces (15).
If you prefer, you can also puree all the artichokes to form the cream, although I like to feel some pieces. Cut the mozzarella into cubes (16). Smear the bottom of a baking dish about 12.5×9.5 inches with a ladle of béchamel (17) and place a layer of lasagna sheets or crepes (18). If like me, you are using a rectangular dish, cut the crepes in half to cover the entire surface of the dish, slightly overlapping them; I used 4 per layer and formed 4 layers. The same procedure applies if you are using lasagna sheets that do not require pre-boiling.
Pour a ladle of béchamel over it (19) and cover with a couple of slices of cooked ham; spread a few pieces of mozzarella and some Parmesan over it (20). Then cover with another layer of crepes, over which you will spread some artichoke cream, along with another ladle of béchamel, some mozzarella cubes, and a bit more Parmesan (21).
Continue in this way, alternating a layer with artichokes and a layer with cooked ham, always seasoning with mozzarella, béchamel, and Parmesan (22). Finish the last layer with the artichoke cream, béchamel, and Parmesan. Complete the artichoke lasagna with some butter knobs (23). Bake it in a preheated oven at 355°F (static) for about 30 minutes; when it is golden, take it out (24) and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This way, it will be easier to serve the portions.
Serve the white lasagna with artichokes and cooked ham hot but not scalding.
Storage
If there are leftovers, you can store the artichoke lasagna in the refrigerator for 3 days. You can also freeze it uncooked and bake it directly from frozen, adding about 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.
Tips and Variations
Instead of cooked ham, you can use mortadella or speck. If you want a lighter dish, you can prepare the béchamel without butter with this recipe. You can also cook the béchamel in the microwave following the instructions found here.
