Name: Delicious Asparagus and Italian Ham Lasagna
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 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

Jump to Recipe

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.

prosciutto cotto layered with torn mozzarella balls and grated Parm looking white and snowy almomst

prosciutto cotto ham slices being layered over tomato sauce and chopped pan seared asparagus

tomato sauce spooned into "dots" over the bechamel and chopped asparagus before being spread out

my hand using a spoon to spread out dollops of asparagus bechamel sauce over the first green spinach lasagna sheets

A Unique and Especially Delicious Spring Lasagna (below leftovers reheated the next day)

a large piece of cut asparagus Lasagna with prosciutto sauce underneath in a pasta bowl

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

pan seared asparagus resting on top of a bed of freshly grated Parm and torn fresh mozzarella as the top layer on this lasagna before being baked

a corner of the baked asparagus just after baking with a golden brown cheesy top and perfectly cooked asparagus spears

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 9x13 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

asparagus blanching in a pot of water — both amounts of asparagus called for in the recipe will need to be blanched, but start by first blanching the asparagus that will get pan seared and chopped for layering INSIDE the lasagna --drop it into boiling salted water and cook for about 1 minute until bright green

asparagus in a fine mesh sieve being strained — remove immediately, straining off as much water as possible before placing it directly into a hot pan with a little olive oil

asparagus spears cooking in a cast iron skillet with smoke rising — place asparagus into a hot skillet with a little EVOO and arrange them in a single layer, add salt and pepper to taste -- don't move them again until nicely browned on the bottom...then flip them over and continue cooking a couple minutes more until the second side is also nicely seared

beautifully pan seared and golden brown asparagus — they should have uneven browning, and still have some "bite" to them...you don't want to over-cook them and have them turn to mush inside the lasagna

closeup of wild pan-seared asparagus — this is a closeup to show you exactly what you're looking for...all of that color is flavor and actually lends a meaty flavor to the asparagus

blanching another round of asparagus with my hand holding it just above the pot of boiling water — now in the same blanching water once it's boiling again, blanch the 5 oz of asparagus (that'll be used for decorating the top of the lasagna) for about 1 minute until bright green

tongs transferring asparagus to the ice bath — this time remove them from the boiling water and immediately drop them into a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking further

blanched asparagus in bowl of ice water with three king size ice cubes floating in the clear glass bowl — when completely cooled, remove them from the water and pat them dry

my hand holding a vertically sliced blanched asparagus spear — carefully slice each spear in half lengthwise from top to bottom

assembled asparagus spears lying on a cutting board with the spears curves opposing each other leading out to the left and right sides from the middle. — use a cutting board to find the design you want to use on the top of the lasagna so it's easy to assemble later on

strain the mozzarella balls and chop into a dice or shred

my hand holding a large chunk of hard cheese with mozzarella in the background — grate the Parmigiano or Grana cheese

my hand holding a 2 inch piece of hard cheese with a microplane and grated cheese next to it — *(I didn't end up using or grating this last little chunk here because I didn't need that much cheese, but you can add as much as you want)

lasagna ingredients ready to assemble the lasagna on a cutting board on the counter top — once the pan-seared asparagus has cooled enough to handle, slice or chop it into bite-sized chunks and start gathering up the rest of the lasagna ingredients to start assembling the lasagna

a ladle in filled with asparagus bechamel in a white casserole dish with asparagus next to it on a cutting board — start by layering in some asparagus bechamel

dots of bright dark red tomato sauce on top of the pale green bechamel sauce in a white ceramic lasagna dish — add spoonfuls of the prosciutto sugo tomato sauce in little mounds

prosciutto sugo spread out into a thin layer — spread out the prosciutto sugo

prosciutto sugo spread out into a thin layer with grated cheese sprinkled on top — add a little Grana Padano

green lasagna noodles layered over the top — add a layer of noodles

bechamel layered over lasagna noodles — add more bechamel and spread it out evenly

chopped asparagus dotting the top of the pale green bechamel — half of the pan-seared asparagus

prosciutto sugo layered on top of chopped asparagus — add more prosciutto sugo and spread it out a little

closeup of the prosciutto cotto ham slices being layered over tomato sauce and chopped pan seared asparagus — (see how thin it should be)

prosciutto cotto ham layer fulling covering lasagna — cover the whole pan to the sides

grated cheese covering the ham lightly — add a sprinkling of Grana Padano

fresh mozzarella cubes covering the ham and grated cheese — add some mozzarella

another layer of green spinach lasagna noodles covering the lasagna — add another layer of noodles

bechamel dotting the spinach noodles — add more asparagus bechamel

bechamel evenly spread out over the lasagna noodles — spread the bechamel out evenly

prosciutto sugo layer spread evenly out over the lasagna — add more prosciutto sugo

grated cheese sprinkled over the sugo — another sprinkling of Grana Padano

more chopped asparagus added — add the last half of pan-seared asparagus

mozzarella added to the top — add some more mozzarella

prosciutto cotto layered over only half the lasagna so far — add more prosciutto cotto (ham) and cover the entire lasagna

half covered with 2 lasagna noodles — add a layer of noodles and cover fully

bechamel covered lasagna dish — then add the last of the asparagus bechamel and spread it out evenly

12 small dollops of prosciutto sugo on top of evenly layered pale green bechamel — add the last of the prosciutto sugo

prosciutto sugo layer spread evenly over the bechamel — spread out the sugo evenly

a more plentiful generous sprinkling of grated cheese over the top — add a more generous sprinkling of the grated cheese for this last layer of cheese

one entire ball of mozzarella shredded and dotted over the top of the lasagna — add one entire ball of mozzarella (hand torn)

asparagus arranged beautifully on to of the cheese — arrange the asparagus on top in the design you want

my hand brushing the asparagus lightly with olive oil using a silicone pastry brush — and brush lightly with olive oil (EVOO) and sprinkle with a little salt to taste

small amount of grated cheese on top of the asparagus ready to be covered and baked — add a little more grated cheese

aluminum foil covering the lasagna and tightly sealed — cover with foil and bake

a freshly baked, crispy gooey cheesy lasagna with beautifully placed spears of asparagus on top curving out from the center going left and right

You can see bits of asparagus in the béchamel - If you prefer a totally smooth sauce, use a Vitamix to blend the asparagus in with the milk. For this recipe, it's not necessary for the sauce to be super smooth since it's baked in with other layers.

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.

side view cold sliced lasagna — this is what it looked like the next day...very easy to slice with beautiful layers

top down view of slice of cold lasagna — (it's easy to cut when it's cold making it ultra easy to portion and freeze for reheating on a busy weeknight - place on oven-safe dish and reheat uncovered for 30 minutes in a preheated 350°F/176°C oven

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.

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closeup of baked ziti with tomatoes and cheese covered pasta noodles some gooey and some crispy

Garganelli pasta noodles in a shrimp and tomato pasta sauce.

spaghetti carbonara plated in a white pasta bowl with rectangular pieces of beautifully browned pancetta throughout

a bowl full of Reginelle tagliatelle pasta which is a tagliatelle egg pasta with zigzagged edges (with a beautiful beef ragù mixed in)

fork holding a mouthful of cajun royal red spaghetti with a shrimp on it

shrimp pasta in red sauce piled high on top of triangular spaghetti noodles in a white pasta bowl

📖 Recipe

Delicious Asparagus and Italian Ham Lasagna

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

Author: Kelly
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 8 people depending on hunger level

Print Recipe

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

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

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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 9x13 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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Comments

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Tammy says

March 25, 2025 at 8:42 am

This was delicious! I'd never made bechamel sauce before but I know my way around a good roux and gravy. It was really easy;) I used the most tender spring asparagus I could find and Boar's Head prosciutto cotto. It's perfect for Easter or a nice Sunday family meal!

Italian Ham & Asparagus Lasagna w/Asparagus Bechamel