This lasagna recipe is a house favorite and gets requested multiple times a season whenever asparagus is popping up everywhere. Filled with layers of pan-seared asparagus, delicate slices of prosciutto cotto (Italian cooked ham), generous helpings of sliced fresh mozzarella, grated Grana Padano cheese, a green asparagus-infused bechamel, and one of the easiest and tastiest porky tomato pasta sauces of all time. This lasagna is really delicious and we think you’re gonna love it as much as we do. As always, step-by-step recipe photos follow.
The Mother of all Lasagnas
Speaking of L.O.V.E, Mother’s Day is just around the corner so if you want to do something really special for your Mama this year (or any Mom out there that you love), you can start by making this delicious lasagna, or “pasticcio”(pronounced, poss-teecho) which I made to celebrate my own Mom. Each component is very simple to pull together, but it’s a real showstopper when everything is assembled and baked. It also travels well and can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen and reheated as needed.
A Unique and Especially Delicious Spring Lasagna (below leftovers reheated the next day)
Asparagus & Italian Ham Lasagna (w/Asparagus Bechamel) Ingredients
Lots of tasty ingredients make up the components of this lasagna, but they’re all very easy to pull together. In honor of my Mama (who loved asparagus) and Mother’s Day, I’ve highlighted wild asparagus in this lasagna. I wanted to make something full of asparagus flavor (and color) that would be comforting and really tasty. If you want to make a vegetarian version of this lasagna, substitute a simple tomato sauce for the prosciutto sugo sauce and omit the slices of prosciutto cotto from the recipe.
- spinach or plain egg pasta lasagna noodles (ready to bake)
- fresh asparagus
- Italian prosciutto cotto, or other premium deli ham
- fresh mozzarella, or shredded mozzarella
- Grana Padano cheese, or Parmigiano Reggiano, or Parmesan
- 1 recipe Asparagus Bechamel
- 1 recipe Prosciutto Sugo red sauce
How to Make Asparagus & Ham Lasagna (w/Asparagus Béchamel)
I experimented by making an asparagus-béchamel instead of a regular Italian béchamel for this lasagna with the goal of making this a true spring green dish. Béchamel can be made plainly or with an infusion of different flavors and spices (even cheese can be added to a béchamel sauce to create a Mornay sauce). So, I replaced some of the traditional milk with blanched puréed asparagus and achieved a pale green (and great-tasting) new version of béchamel which is a perfect accompaniment to the other flavors in this lasagna.
- Make the prosciutto sugo sauce as called for and set it aside.
- Make the asparagus-béchamel sauce, as called for, cover it with cling film, and set aside.
- Blanch 7 ounces of asparagus & pan-sear (for slicing and layering into the lasagna). Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add 7 ounces (200g) of asparagus, and blanch for approximately 1 minute until asparagus has turned bright green. Using tongs, remove the blanched asparagus from the water and place them directly into a pre-heated skillet (on medium-hi heat) drizzled with a little olive oil in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the asparagus to sear a minute or 2, or until nice and golden brown. Flip them over and brown the other side. When asparagus is a little crispy and nicely browned, remove them to a cutting board, and slice them into bite-sized pieces. *Don’t over-cook them in this step because they will cook further in the oven while the lasagna bakes.
- Blanch 5 ounces of asparagus (for decorating the top of the lasagna). In the same pot of lightly salted water, bring it to a boil again and add 5 ounces (140-150g) of asparagus, and blanch for approximately 1 minute until asparagus has turned bright green. Immediately remove the asparagus from the boiling water, and drop them into a bowl of ice water for 1-2 minutes just until they are cooled through and no longer cooking. Remove them from the ice water, pat dry, and slice each asparagus spear in half lengthwise (from top to bottom). Set aside until ready to decorate the assembled lasagna.
- Assemble the lasagna. Assemble the lasagna by adding a ladle of béchamel and spreading it out onto the bottom of a lasagna dish (or 9×13 inch baking dish) and start building the remaining layers as outlined below ending with the halved asparagus spears to decorate the top of the lasagna. *see step-by-step photos.
- prosciutto sugo sauce, Grana Padano, lasagna noodles, béchamel, chopped asparagus, prosciutto sugo sauce, prosciutto cotto (ham), Grana Padano, mozzarella, lasagna noodles, béchamel, prosciutto sugo sauce, Grana Padano, chopped asparagus, mozzarella, prosciutto cotto (ham), lasagna noodles, béchamel, prosciutto sugo sauce, mozzarella, Grana Padano, end by decorating with the blanched asparagus spear halves
- Bake the lasagna. Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350°F/175°C oven for 40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered until bubbling and golden brown on top (about 5-10 minutes more).
Asparagus and Ham Lasagna step-by-step recipe photos and instructions
MealPrep It: Bake it, Portion it, Freeze it, Reheat & Repeat.
Like any lasagna recipe, this is a favorite meal prep dish for us to make ahead of time and freeze it into portions that we can pull out of the freezer to reheat for an effortless weeknight meal or when we feel like having a lazy weekend. This is the first and last thing I make when asparagus is in season each year. When you make it you’ll see why. It’s always easiest to slice it for MealPrep, the day after it’s been baked and chilled overnight in the fridge. It makes it really easy to portion.
Reheated Day-2 Asparagus and Italian Ham Lasagna (in photos below)
Looking for More Delicious Pasta Dishes to Make?
Below are a few of our favorite pasta dishes that we think you might also enjoy.
- Anniversary Pasta (Spicy Shrimp Tomato-Alfredo Sauce w/Rigatoni)
- Italian Duck Ragù with Bigoli (Bigoli al Ragù d’Anatra)
- Classic Lasagna Bolognese (authentic Italian recipe)
- Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo Pasta Recipe (w/Parmigiano Cream Sauce)
- Baked Ziti with Ragù (from Scratch)
- 15-Minute Shrimp Pasta w/Garganelli (the Italian Way)
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara (Cook Pasta Like A Roman)
- Tagliatelle al Ragù (Northern Italian Beef Ragù w/Pasta)
- Cajun Style Royal Red Shrimp Pasta for One (or a crowd)
- Triple Shrimp Trighetto Pasta (Creamy Shrimp Pasta)
Delicious Asparagus and Italian Ham Lasagna
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 people depending on hunger level 1x
Description
This is a house favorite lasagna that I get lots of requests for when fresh asparagus is in season. This Italian-inspired lasagna recipe with thinly sliced ham, delicious porky tomato sauce, layers of asparagus-infused béchamel, pan-seared fresh asparagus, fresh mozzarella, and grated Grana Padano cheese makes one of the most delicious lasagnas you’ll ever eat! Hands down, it’s one of my top three lasagnas of all time and we hope you’ll be as crazy about it as we are.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 sheets (7 ounces) spinach or plain egg pasta lasagna noodles (ready to bake) (200g)
- 5 ounces fresh asparagus cleaned and trimmed (150g) *for decorating the top of lasagna
- 7 ounces asparagus cleaned and trimmed (200g) *for layering inside lasagna
- 6 ounces Italian prosciutto cotto, or other premium deli ham, sliced paper-thin (170g)
- 2 balls (7 ounces) of fresh mozzarella, diced or hand-shredded (200g)
- 3 ounces Grana Padano cheese, or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (90g)
- 1 recipe Asparagus Bechamel
- 1 recipe Prosciutto Sugo red sauce
Instructions
- Make the prosciutto sugo sauce as called for and set it aside.
- Make the asparagus-béchamel sauce, as called for, cover it with cling film, and set aside.
- Blanch 7 ounces of asparagus & pan-sear (for slicing and layering into the lasagna). Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add 7 ounces (200g) of asparagus, and blanch for approximately 1 minute until asparagus has turned bright green. Using tongs, remove the blanched asparagus from the water and place them directly into a pre-heated skillet (on medium-hi heat) drizzled with a little olive oil in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the asparagus to sear a minute or 2, or until nice and golden brown. Flip them over and brown the other side. When asparagus is a little crispy and nicely browned, remove them to a cutting board, and slice them into bite-sized pieces. *Don’t over-cook them in this step because they will cook further in the oven while the lasagna bakes.
- Blanch 5 ounces of asparagus (for decorating the top of the lasagna). In the same pot of lightly salted water, bring it to a boil again and add 5 ounces (140-150g) of asparagus, and blanch for approximately 1 minute until asparagus has turned bright green. Immediately remove the asparagus from the boiling water, and drop them into a bowl of ice water for 1-2 minutes just until they are cooled through and no longer cooking. Remove them from the ice water, pat dry, and slice each asparagus spear in half lengthwise (from top to bottom). Set aside until ready to decorate the assembled lasagna.
- Assemble the lasagna. Assemble the lasagna by adding a ladle of béchamel and spreading it out onto the bottom of a lasagna dish (or 9×13 inch baking dish) and start building the remaining layers as outlined below ending with the halved asparagus spears to decorate the top of the lasagna. *see step-by-step photos.
- sauce, Grana Padano, lasagna noodles, béchamel, chopped asparagus, prosciutto sauce, prosciutto cotto (ham), Grana Padano, mozzarella, lasagna noodles, béchamel, sauce, Grana Padano, chopped asparagus, mozzarella, prosciutto cotto (ham), lasagna noodles, béchamel, sauce, mozzarella, Grana Padano, end by decorating with the blanched asparagus spear halves
- Bake the lasagna. Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350°F/175°C oven for 40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered until bubbling and golden brown on top (about 5-10 minutes more).
Notes
- When searing the asparagus, do not move the asparagus once they hit the pan other than to arrange them into a single layer so that they can brown properly in that initial connection with the oil and the hot skillet.
- If you notice a pool of asparagus liquid on the top of the lasagna, don’t worry. Slightly tilt the lasagna away from you (or towards you) and allow the liquid to seep into the sides of the lasagna. You may have to do this up to two times if you’re working with large asparagus which contains more water. Continue cooking until the top of the lasagna is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned all over.
- How do I get a nicely browned and crispy cheesy top on my lasagna? The trick to getting a perfectly golden brown cheesy top on your baked lasagna is to place it under the broiler during the last 10 minutes of baking time. Just be sure to watch it so it doesn’t burn. Remove it from the oven when the desired color is reached.
LASAGNA ASSEMBLY LIST BY LAYERS:
- bechamel: Add a thin layer of asparagus béchamel sauce to the bottom of a lasagna pan and spread out in a thin layer being sure to cover the entire bottom of the casserole dish.
- sauce: Next, add a small amount of prosciutto sugo on top of the béchamel and spread it out into a thin layer.
- Grana Padano: Next, add a little Grana Padano sprinkling lightly over the top.
- lasagna noodles: Next, cover with lasagna noodles overlapping ever so slightly. You may need to break a lasagna noodle in half to cover completely.
- bechamel: Add a thin layer of asparagus béchamel sauce.
- chopped asparagus: Next add about half of the chopped asparagus sprinkling evenly over the top.
- sauce: Add a layer of prosciutto Sugo and spread it out.
- prosciutto cotto: Next add a layer of prosciutto cotto in a single layer making sure every surface is covered.
- Grana Padano: Sprinkle a little bit of the Grana Padano cheese
- mozzarella: Sprinkle a little bit of the chopped mozzarella evenly over the top.
- lasagna noodles: Next, cover with lasagna noodles overlapping ever so slightly.
- bechamel: Add a thin layer of asparagus béchamel sauce.
- sauce: Next, add a small amount of prosciutto sugo on top of the béchamel and spread it out into a thin layer.
- Grana Padano: Next, add a little Grana Padano sprinkling lightly over the top.
- chopped asparagus: Next add the remaining half of the chopped asparagus sprinkling evenly over the top.
- mozzarella: Sprinkle a little bit of the chopped mozzarella evenly over the top.
- prosciutto cotto: Next add a layer of prosciutto cotto in a single layer making sure every surface is covered.
- lasagna noodles: Next, cover with lasagna noodles overlapping ever so slightly.
- bechamel: Add a thin layer of asparagus béchamel sauce.
- sauce: Next, add a small amount of prosciutto sugo on top of the béchamel and spread it out into a thin layer.
- mozzarella: Sprinkle a little bit of the chopped mozzarella evenly over the top
- Grana Padano: Next, add a little Grana Padano sprinkling lightly over the top.
- blanched asparagus spear halves: Top with asparagus halves and brush the asparagus with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with a light dusting Grana Padano and bake.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
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