Home/Made Mushroom Lasagna

An earthy marriage of smoke, fire and cheese created by Monica Byrne, who runs a tiny restaurant in Red Hook, Brooklyn called Home/Made. There are two important notes. First, the truffle oil that Byrne calls for is entirely optional. The dish works well without it. Second, use of the recipe's herb oil ought to be mandatory. This is an excellent addition to your pantry. You might use it as a base for salad dressing or to dress small potatoes for roasting, etc.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  extra-virgin olive oil or 1⁄2 cup  herb oil
• 6  large shallots, peeled and minced
• 1 1⁄2 lbs mushrooms (wild or best available, such as oyster, shiitake, cremini)
• 1  cup dry white wine
• 1  head radicchio, halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices (softball-sized)
•  kosher  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter or 4  tablespoons  herb oil
• 3  large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 4  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3  cups  whole milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  grated nutmeg
• 1  cup gruyere cheese, grated
• 1  cup Fontina cheese, grated
• 2  tablespoons  best-quality  truffle oil (optional)
• 2 (9 ounce) boxes  of no-boil  lasagna sheets
• 1  ball smoked mozzarella cheese, sliced (base-ball size)
• 1  cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

• Herb Oil

• 1  bunch fresh thyme
• 1⁄2 bunch fresh rosemary
• 1  bunch fresh sage
• 5  garlic cloves, peeled
• 1  tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 1⁄2 cups  extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. To make Herb Oil: Put herbs, garlic and salt into a food processor. Add a splash of olive oil, and pulse to combine. Place mixture into a jar.
2. Add the rest of the olive oil. Store in the refrigerator. Last about a week.
3. To make Lasagna: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of the olive oil or herb oil. When it begins to shimmer, add half of the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add mushrooms and toss to coat, then cook until they being to color but are still plump, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add white wine to deglaze pan and allow to cook down into a syrup, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Put the mushrooms into a large bowl and reserve.
4. Meanwhile, in another bowl, toss the radicchio with 1/4 cup olive oil or herb oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the strips out onto a baking pan and place in the oven until the strips are lightly browned around the edges, approximately 15 minutes. Combine with the mushrooms and reserve.
5. Make the bechamel: Place a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. When it foams, add the rest of the shallots and cook until they being to turn translucent. Add the garlic and stir to combine, then cook until the garlic has started to soften. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir to combine, then cook gently until the mixture has turned light brown and gives off a nutty scent, approximately 10 minutes. Add milk to mixture, whisking all the while, until the sauce is thick and creamy. Add the nutmeg and 1/4 cup of grated Gruyere and 1/4 cup of grated Fontina, then stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Reserve a cup of bechamel. Pour the rest over the mixture of mushrooms and radicchio, and stir to combine. Add truffle oil, if using.
7. Assemble lasagna: spread plain bechamel sauce across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Place a layer of lasagna sheets across the sauce, being careful not to overlap. Spread a generous layer of mushroom mixture on top of the pasta, and follow with some grated Fontina and Gruyere. Put another layer of pasta above the cheese, and top with smoked mozzarella. Repeat until the pasta is gone and the pan is full. Top with remaining cheeses and a generous amount of grated Parmesan. Cover with a buttered sheet of aluminum foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook until top is golden and bubbling.