Artichoke Lasagna with Cauliflower Béchamel: The Light First Course for Easter
This year at the neighborhood market it’s impossible to resist: the artichokes are beautiful, tender and finally affordable! After cooking them in every way, I couldn’t help but put them to the ultimate test: artichoke lasagna with a cauliflower béchamel.
Result? A unique deliciousness that rivals the classic version. This vegetarian white lasagna is the perfect alternative to the traditional Bolognese ragù, ideal for those looking for first courses that are rich yet extremely easy to digest.
Why choose this White Artichoke Lasagna?
If you love kitchen challenges and authentic flavors, this recipe will win you over for three reasons:
Lightness and Health: thanks to my tried-and-true cauliflower béchamel, you’ll get a healthy, low-fat dish without giving up creaminess.
Vegetarian Version: a refined option without meat and without tomato, which highlights the sweet, slightly metallic flavor of the artichoke.
Melting Effect: despite being a “light” version, the heart remains succulent and inviting — perfect to convince even the most skeptical palates.
The ideal dish for special occasions
Whether for the classic Sunday family meal or as the star of the Easter lunch, this white artichoke lasagna will bring a breath of spring freshness to the table. It’s proof that eating healthy doesn’t mean renouncing taste, but simply reinterpreting tradition intelligently.
If you love lasagna, also try these other equally tasty and wholesome versions, perfect for any occasion:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 8 oz egg lasagna sheets
- 5 artichokes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 6.5 oz smoked scamorza cheese
- 3.5 oz grated Parmesan
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small bunch parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 large cauliflower (white)
- 2.33 cups vegetable broth (with the cauliflower stems)
- 1.25 cups milk
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 1 small bunch parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1.33 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 2 Pans
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Mezzaluna
- 1 Immersion blender
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Corer
- 1 Frying pan
- 2 Gloves latex
- 1 Baking dish
- 1 Parchment paper
Steps
Start preparing the cauliflower “béchamel”, preferably the day before, following all the steps in the recipe.
Once the béchamel is ready, take care of cleaning the artichokes. In a large bowl, prepare acidulated water with lemon juice to prevent them from browning when exposed to air. With a knife, separate the flower heads from the stems, peeling the stems and cutting them into chunks. Remove the outer leaves until you reach the hearts, then cut about 1 1/4 in from the tips to discard them. Halve the hearts and remove the inner “choke” (the hairy part).
Cut the hearts into wedges and plunge them, together with the stem chunks, into the acidulated water.
In a large nonstick pan, place the peeled and slightly crushed garlic with 2 generous tablespoons of olive oil and let it brown for 1 minute.
Add the artichoke wedges along with their stems and let them sauté over high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
Add the boiling vegetable broth, cover with a lid and let them simmer in the pan for about 10 minutes.
At the end of the indicated time, check doneness with a fork; if still firm, extend by another 5 minutes, always covered. If of medium tenderness, uncover and let cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. About 2 minutes before the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper.
Finally, flavor by adding a handful of finely chopped parsley, mix and let cool slightly, keeping the cooking juice aside.
When all components are cool, proceed to assemble. First, add 2–3 ladlefuls of béchamel to the bottom of the baking dish, thinning it with the reserved artichoke juices. Cover with 3 uncooked lasagna sheets*.
Then add a handful of artichokes, irregular pieces of scamorza and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
Cover with 2–3 ladlefuls of cauliflower béchamel and start another layer, following the same order as before.
Repeat this process for all layers, finishing with a handful of grated Parmesan. Cover the dish with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 356°F for about 40 minutes. For the last 15 minutes, remove the paper and place on the upper rack so it browns nicely!
Serve slightly warm.
And voilà… the white artichoke lasagna with cauliflower béchamel is ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy! from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the artichoke lasagna raw in the fridge for 2 days, sealed with plastic wrap, or already cooked for the same amount of time and always well covered, because cooked artichokes are very delicate. Just take them out to room temperature 1 hour before reheating. It’s also possible to freeze them already cooked in appropriate containers, preferably glass, for up to 1 month.
Tips, notes, variations and suggestions
🔵* Usually lasagna sheets are blanched for 1 minute in hot water before assembling the dish, but in my case this step was not necessary. Check the instructions on your package to be sure — otherwise it could affect the final result.
🔵 If you wish, you can replace the scamorza with other melting cheeses of your choice such as taleggio, fontina, brie, emmental or mozzarella — just be sure to drain it well so it doesn’t release liquid during baking.
🔵 For a non-vegetarian version, you can add an extra savory touch by placing a few anchovy fillets in oil between the layers or strips of smoked salmon if you like. You can also vary the lasagna by adding crumbled, pan-cooked sausage, browned for a few minutes and deglazed with white wine.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
1. Can I use frozen artichokes?
Yes, although fresh artichokes (such as mammole or Romanesco types) offer unbeatable texture and aroma.
