Spicy Fennel and Turmeric Béchamel Lasagna
It took until pretty recently for me to discover the joys of fennel and I’ve been pretty obsessed. One reason why I was always kind of indifferent to it is because I almost always ate fennel raw in a salad. It turns out, though, that cooked fennel is (in my opinion) WAY more flavorful and delicious!
Not that raw fennel doesn’t have its place. Sometimes you just want a light and refreshing salad. Sometimes, though, you just want a frickin’ lasagna.
How does one take an aesthetic picture of lasagna, though?! SEND HELP!!!
I’m always experimenting with Moroccan ingredients because…well, I live here, and also because it’s not always that easy to get the ingredients I’m used to being so available in the US (where I’m from). With that said, I absolutely COULD make a regular-ass vegetarian lasagna with Moroccan ingredients, since Morocco has a fairly Mediterranean growing environment and there is an abundance of fresh tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and all the usual suspects you find in Italian cuisine. I, however, am not usually a huge fan of regular-ass vegetarian lasagna. It needs a little spicing up! Preferably with harissa, northern Africa’s famous pepper paste.
Because of my recent fennel obsession, I wanted to make a fennel lasagna. A spicy fennel lasagna. Honestly, I was really inspired to do this by my fennel, harissa, and shallot confit, which I was eating one day and thought to myself, “This would be a good lasagna.” So, I experimented with cooking fennel and harissa (and tomatoes, and onions) to make the red sauce portion of the lasagna. Then, I thought turmeric would be a good addition to the bechamel, as it does such a great job of balancing out spiciness in a dish.
Method:
I make the “red sauce” portion first with the fennel, tomatoes, onions, and harissa. It’s definitely the most hands-on and time-consuming part of the recipe, but honestly, I feel like this one took less time than the average lasagna to make.
Then, I set the red sauce aside and make the béchamel. It’s a straight-forward béchamel that uses turmeric instead of the usual black pepper and nutmeg.
I use a square baking pan I have that I believe is more or less equivalent to a 9x9 pan. It makes 4 servings, so my boyfriend and I always have dinner and then leftovers for lunch! Of course, if you have more people to feed or you just want to be able to save a lot of leftovers (let’s be honest, making lasagna is kind of a pain in the behind), then you can double the recipe. It’s a very forgiving and flexible recipe!
This is not a method, but does anyone else get annoyed af adding the béchamel layer?! I really want to be able to smooth it out but just have to plop on some heaps here and there instead. Ohhh well.
Right out of the oven.
Notes on the ingredients:
Fennel: I used two bulbs and some of the stalks and it ended up being a little less than a pound (about .4 kg). I reserved the fronds for garnishing the lasagna and just because they’re tasty and great to have around for all your herb-y needs. You should chop the bulbs and stalks into small-ish chunks–large enough to give the lasagna texture, but small enough that they don’t take forever to cook.
Harissa: The paste I use is pretty strong and spicy. If yours is more “basic” pepper paste, then I recommend adding a dash of cumin and more spicy red pepper for a stronger flavor (if that’s what you’re into).
Pasta sheets: I use regular no-boil lasagna sheets. It takes two per layer with my square pan.
Salt: The amount of salt you use in the sauces will depend on a few factors: 1. How salty your harissa is (for the red sauce), 2. Whether or not you use salted butter (for the béchamel), 3. Whether or not you use parmesan in the béchamel, and 4. Preference, of course. The best policy is to taste the sauce right before you’re finished to see if it needs any additional salt.
Recipe:
Spicy Fennel and Turmeric Béchamel Lasagna
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel and onions.
- Cook the fennel and onions until soft (10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally to cook evenly. If they are starting to brown too quickly, turn the heat down a little.
- Add the garlic and harissa. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes. Cook until they start to break down, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced a little and is thick and chunky.
- Set aside until read to assemble the lasagna.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.
- Add the flour and whisk together with the butter to create a smooth paste. Continue whisking as you cook the mixture for another couple minutes.
- Pour the milk in slowly, whisking continuously to combine with the flour and butter mixture.
- Add the turmeric and parmesan (if using). Whisk together until smooth.
- Whisk continuously over the heat for another 3-4 minutes, until you have a smooth, thick, creamy sauce.
- Taste to see if it needs additional salt (this will depend on whether or not you've used salted butter and parmesan).
- Set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Divide the sauces into three equal parts. Layer one third of the red sauce on the bottom of a pan or casserole dish (I used a 9x9 inch square baking pan). Pour one third of the béchamel as evenly as you can over the red sauce layer (béchamel is pretty thick and doesn't always behave, so don't worry too much about how even it is). Place two sheets of lasagna on top of the layers.
- Repeat the layering process two more times, with the final (top) layer using the mozzarella and parmesan (if using) instead of lasagna sheets.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is turning golden and the edges look crispy (but not burnt).
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with fennel fronds and extra grated parmesan if desired.
Storing leftovers:
Refrigerator: I almost always have the leftovers the next day, but it should be fine for another few days.
Freezer: If you want to save it for another time, it should keep in the freezer for a few months. In general, I like to keep some leftovers in the freezer for an easy lunch when I don’t feel like making anything.
