Easy Artichoke Lasagna with Provolone, Emmental, and Cooked Ham. Family Recipe.
A tasty lasagna with a delicate flavor, which can also be prepared the day before, making it very convenient especially for Sunday family lunches or when hosting guests for holidays or occasions like Easter, Mother’s Day, etc.
I love these baked pasta dishes that can be prepared the day before serving, as they are very convenient and practical when having guests over because they allow us to fully enjoy the spirit of conviviality with our guests.
With this recipe, the artichokes become very soft and tender.
You can buy the béchamel sauce (if you’re in a hurry) or make it with my foolproof recipe: “Infallible Béchamel … all the secrets!!“.
You can prepare fresh egg lasagna at home (1 egg for every 100 g of flour) or buy them (there’s also a pre-cooked type if you’re in a hurry). I put them raw in the pan (in that case, you need to increase the amount of béchamel), but you can blanch them for 2 minutes and let them dry on a clean cloth (or buy the pre-cooked ones).
If you’re looking for other baked pasta dishes (also to prepare the day before) to avoid cooking pasta when you have guests, I recommend checking out my Special: “Baked Pasta Dishes“.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, All Seasons
Ingredients for Easy Artichoke Lasagna with Provolone, Emmental, and Cooked Ham
- 2.2 lbs egg lasagna (fresh)
- 28 oz artichokes (violet, about 8)
- 10.5 oz emmental (diced)
- 10.5 oz smoked provolone (diced)
- 7 oz cooked ham (diced)
- 5.3 oz grated parmesan (optional)
- 8.5 cups béchamel sauce (https://blog.giallozafferano.it/lericettedimarci13/besciamella-modo-mio/)
- to taste nutmeg (for the béchamel)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 7 oz bacon (sliced or diced)
- 2 cloves garlic
- to taste chili pepper (optional)
- to taste pepper
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- to taste fine salt
- 1 oz butter (to garnish the surface, optional)
Tools
- Bowl
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Saucepan
- Pot
- Baking Sheet
- Spoon
- Baking Pan
Steps for Easy Artichoke Lasagna with Provolone, Emmental, and Cooked Ham
First, if possible, put on disposable gloves and wash the artichokes thoroughly, cut off the end of the stem, and remove the more fibrous part of what remains of the stem. Remove the top with the tips and the outer, tougher leaves; you need to reach the soft part. Then cut the artichokes in half, then into quarters, and remove the “choke” inside. As you perform this operation, immerse the artichokes in acidulated water with a lemon cut in half and let them soak for about 15 minutes to prevent them from browning. Finally, drain them well.
Take a saucepan, pour in the 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, heat it, and then add the garlic cloves cut into quarters, the chili pepper (optional), and let the garlic turn golden. Then add the bacon, and finally pour in 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 bit of salt and pepper, let the wine evaporate over high heat for a minute, then cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Once the artichokes are soft and cooked, cut the artichokes into even smaller pieces. In truth, I also remove the bacon pieces, as they only serve to flavor the artichoke broth and would remove the lasagna’s creamy and melting quality given by the softness of the artichokes, cooked ham, and cheeses.
Heat the béchamel sauce (either homemade with my foolproof recipe or store-bought) in a small pot and add 2 g of fine salt, pepper, and nutmeg (optional). Once heated, add a ladleful to the artichoke broth.
Take a baking pan (or a casserole dish) 9×13 inches and make a first layer of béchamel, then a layer of fresh egg lasagna sheets, another layer of béchamel, some of the artichokes, provolone, emmental, cooked ham, and grated parmesan (optional). Cover with béchamel, then more lasagna sheets and repeat the sequence until finished (the more layers you can make, the better), ending on top with an abundant layer of béchamel, grated parmesan, and dollops of butter.
Bake the lasagna in a preheated oven at 350°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! Let it rest for about 15 minutes to settle, then cut it into portions and serve.
Notes and Tips
The quantities in this recipe are plentiful because if the lasagna is left over (which I doubt, it always disappears at my house), you can easily freeze it after cooking, even in single portions. When you need it, let it thaw in the fridge and then reheat it; it will be as if freshly made. In any case, you can store this lasagna in the fridge for up to two days (artichokes are delicate).
For a vegetarian version of this lasagna, you can omit the cured meats (it’s just as good).
If you’re short on time and want a lasagna ready in no time, you can use: ready-made lasagna sheets, ready-made béchamel, and frozen artichokes (just the hearts, about 28 oz), which should be thawed at room temperature beforehand (or you can also replace the artichokes with peas).
If you don’t like béchamel, you can use the same amount of cooking cream or ricotta (diluted with a little milk).
