Easy Artichoke Lasagna with Provola, Emmenthal and Cooked Ham. Family recipe.
A tasty lasagna with a delicate flavor, it can also be prepared the day before, so it is extremely convenient especially for Sunday family lunch or when you have guests for celebrations or occasions like Easter, Mother’s Day, etc.
I love these baked first courses that can be prepared the day before serving; they are very convenient and practical when hosting because they allow us to fully enjoy the convivial spirit with our guests.
With this recipe the artichokes become very soft and tender.
You can buy the béchamel (if you are in a hurry) or prepare it with my well-tested recipe: “Foolproof béchamel … all the secrets!!“.
Fresh egg lasagna sheets can be made at home (1 egg for every 100 g of flour) or bought (there is also the pre-cooked type, again if you are in a hurry). I place them raw in the baking dish (in that case you must increase the amount of béchamel), but if you prefer you can blanch them for 2 minutes and let them dry on a clean cloth (or buy the precooked ones).
If you are looking for other baked first courses (that can also be made the day before) to avoid cooking pasta at the last minute when you have guests, I recommend checking my Special: “Baked first courses“.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, All seasons
Ingredients for Easy Artichoke Lasagna with Provola, Emmenthal and Cooked Ham
- 2.2 lbs fresh egg lasagna sheets (fresh)
- 1 3/4 lbs artichokes (violet variety, about 8)
- 11 oz emmenthal (diced)
- 11 oz smoked provola (diced)
- 7 oz cooked ham (diced)
- 5.3 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
- 8.5 cups béchamel (https://blog.giallozafferano.it/lericettedimarci13/besciamella-modo-mio/)
- to taste nutmeg (for the béchamel)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 7 oz pancetta (sliced or diced)
- 2 cloves garlic
- to taste chili pepper (optional)
- to taste black pepper
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- to taste fine salt
- 2 tbsp butter (for surface garnish, optional)
Tools for Easy Artichoke Lasagna with Provola, Emmenthal and Cooked Ham
- Bowl
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Saucepan
- Pot
- Baking sheet
- Spoon
- Baking dish
Steps for Easy Artichoke Lasagna with Provola, Emmenthal and Cooked Ham
First of all, if possible wear disposable gloves and wash the artichokes well. Trim the end of the stem and remove the most fibrous part of the remaining stem. Remove the top with the pointy, outer tough leaves until you reach the tender part. Cut the artichokes in half, then into quarters and remove the “choke” (the fuzzy inner part). As you do this, plunge the artichokes into water acidified with half a lemon and let them soak for about 15 minutes to prevent them from turning black. Finally, drain them well.
Take a saucepan, pour in the 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, heat it, then add the garlic cloves cut into quarters, the chili pepper (optional) and lightly brown the garlic.
Then add the pancetta and finally add the well-drained artichokes and sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
Remove the garlic cloves and pour in 3/4 cup of dry white wine, add a pinch of salt and some pepper, deglaze the wine over high heat for one minute then cover and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.Once the artichokes are soft and cooked, chop them into even smaller pieces.
Actually, I also remove the pieces of pancetta after cooking, because they are used only to flavor the artichoke mixture and would reduce the creaminess and stringy melt quality given by the softness of the artichokes, the cooked ham and the cheeses.
Warm the béchamel in a small pot (either your homemade version with my foolproof recipe or a store-bought one) and add 2 g of fine salt, pepper and nutmeg (optional). Once warmed, add a ladle of béchamel to the artichoke mixture.
Take a 22×30 cm (approx. 9×12 in) baking dish and spread a first layer of béchamel, then a layer of fresh egg lasagna sheets, another layer of béchamel, some of the artichokes, provola, emmenthal, cooked ham and grated Parmigiano (optional). Cover with béchamel and then add more pasta sheets, repeating the sequence until ingredients are used up (the more layers you make, the better). Finish the top with a generous layer of béchamel, grated Parmigiano and butter flakes.
Bake the lasagna in a preheated oven at 356°F for 50 minutes (if you see the surface browning too much, cover it with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes).
Do NOT eat it straight out of the oven!
It must rest for about 15 minutes to settle, then cut into portions and serve.
Notes and Tips
The quantities in this recipe are generous because if the lasagna leftovers (which I doubt, mine always disappears) you can safely freeze it after baking, even in single portions.
When needed, thaw it in the refrigerator and then reheat and it will be like freshly made. In any case, you can store this lasagna in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days (artichokes are delicate).
For a vegetarian version of this lasagna, you can omit the cured meats (it is still good).
If you don’t have time and want a lasagna ready in very little time, you can use: ready-to-use lasagna sheets, ready-made béchamel and frozen artichokes (even just artichoke hearts) in the same quantity (about 800 g). They must be thawed first at room temperature (or you can replace the artichokes with peas).
If you don’t like béchamel, you can use the same amount of cooking cream or ricotta (thinned with a little milk).
