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Italian Speck & Asparagus Lasagna (w/Asparagus Béchamel & Zucchini Crema)

Published: · Modified: by Kelly · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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This creamy, cheesy, slightly smoky, tomatoey asparagus and speck lasagna recipe is part of my yearly spring tradition of creating a seasonal asparagus-inspired Italian pasticcio.

This lasagna is filled with layers of pan-seared asparagus, delicate slices of Italian Speck (plus a little crispy-fried Speck for even more flavor), intensely sweet homemade tomato passata sauce, and generous helpings of fresh mozzarella, grated Grana Padano cheese, and our famously green (and tasty) asparagus béchamel.

closeup of deep homemade red tomato sauce in mounds on a layer of smoothed out asparagus bechamel
closeup of mozzarella balls shredded and added to the lasagna with grana padano cheese
closeup of
closeup of sauteed asparagus rounds and crispy speck sprinkled with grana padano
closeup of deep green zucchini crema dotted with homemade deep red tomato sauce
Speck and Asparagus lasagna just out of the oven

What is Italian Speck & Asparagus Lasagna? 

It's that time of year when Easter is just around the corner and we also start thinking about how to honor all our favorite Moms out there for Mother's Day.

Garden fresh asparagus is plentiful and starts popping up everywhere and since it was one of my Mom's all-time favorite vegetables to eat, it's become a yearly tradition to create an asparagus-inspired lasagna or "pasticcio"(pronounced, poss-teecho) every spring. 

This is our Year-2 pasticcio -- a creative twist on the traditional Italian "lasagne asparagi e speck" (asparagus and speck lasagna).

Each component is very simple to make including the asparagus béchamel, zucchini crema, and homemade tomato sauce. When everything is assembled and baked it looks beautiful (but it tastes even better).

Plus, it travels well and can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen and reheated as needed. You can even assemble and freeze it unbaked making it a great way to save time on Easter or Mother's Day this year.

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a beautifully layered slab of Speck and Asparagus Lasagna on a vintage pink and gold painted Venetian wooden tray

Why You'll Love This Italian Lasagna Recipe

  • It's melty, gooey, creamy, and delicious
  • Each component is easy to make
  • Adding pan-seared asparagus gives it even more flavor
  • Speck gives this lasagna a slightly smoky flavor vibe we love
  • Asparagus béchamel adds even more creaminess 
  • Easy to make this a vegetarian lasagna by omitting the speck
asparagus and ham lasagna
fully baked lasagna on the countertop
fully baked and bubbling asparagus and speck lasagna
Speck and asparagus lasagna ingredients on a cutting board
Speck and asparagus lasagna ingredients on a cutting board all ready to assemble the lasagna

Italian Speck & Asparagus Lasagna Ingredients

Lots of tasty ingredients make up the components of this lasagna, but they're all very easy to pull together I've highlighted asparagus in this lasagna and complimented it with asparagus béchamel sauce, an easy tomato passata sauce, smokey Italian speck (some of it crispy-fried for extra flavor, and some regular) along with fresh balls of mozzarella and Grana Padano cheese. 

Speck and Asparagus lasagna just out of the oven

How to Make Asparagus & Ham Lasagna (w/Asparagus Bechamel)

Once you have all of the various components made, the assembly of this lasagna is a breeze, but we've included step-by-step assembly photos at the end of the post to make it even easier.

  1. Make the tomato sauce. Make one of our linked pasta sauces, or use your favorite recipe and set aside.
  2. Make the asparagus-béchamel sauce. Make the béchamel sauce as called for, cover with sustainable cling film, and set aside.
  3. Make the zucchini crema. In a medium pot, sauté the garlic clove in the olive oil until blistered and fragrant. Add diced zucchini and cook over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until zucchini is tender and slightly browned. Remove the garlic clove. Purée the mixture in the bowl of a food processor (or blender) until smooth. Remove to a bowl and set aside. *If you don't have a blender, simply smash the mixture with the back of a fork until slightly smooth. 
  4. Cook a portion of the speck. Remove the larger fat trim from around the edges of the Speck slices and cook it over medium heat in a skillet. Add a small handful of the tough or drier meat parts of speck (the meat part) and cook along with the fat until crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove the crispy Speck to a cutting board and finely chop. *Use only a small portion of speck to fry because the rest will be layered into the lasagna (see photos below).
  5. Blanch 7 ounces of asparagus + pan-sear it (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, shake off excess water, and place them in a single layer directly into a pre-heated skillet drizzled with olive oil and cook over medium-high heat. Season with salt and sear the asparagus for 1 to 2 minutes, 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. Add the asparagus slices to the bowl with crispy fried speck and toss everything together. *Be sure to not overcook asparagus in this step (because they cook further in the oven while the lasagna bakes). 
  6. Blanch 5 ounces of asparagus (for decorating the top of the lasagna). In the same pot of boiling water, add 5 ounces (150g) of asparagus, and blanch for approximately 1 minute until it's turned bright green. Immediately remove the asparagus from the boiling water, and drop them into a bowl of ice water for 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 vertically (from top to bottom). Set aside until ready to decorate the assembled lasagna.
  7. 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. *for step-by-step photos of lasagna assembly scroll to the end of the post.
    • tomato sauce, Grana Padano, lasagna noodles, béchamel, ½ of the chopped asparagus + crispy prosciutto mixture, tomato sauce, Speck, Grana Padano, mozzarella, lasagna noodles, all of the zucchini crema, tomato sauce, Grana Padano, last ½ of the chopped asparagus + crispy prosciutto mixture, torn pieces of speck, lasagna noodles, béchamel, tomato sauce, mozzarella, Grana Padano, end by decorating with the blanched asparagus spear halves.
  8. Bake the lasagna. Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350°F/176°C oven for 50 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered until bubbling and golden brown on top (about 10-15 minutes more). Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. You may also turn on the broiler to brown the top, but be sure to stay and keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Enjoy!
fried speck and sauteed asparagus rounds on a small white plate all mixed together
pureed sauteed zucchini in the bowl of a food processor) zucchini crema

Meal Prep Lasagna: 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 into portions that we can pull out of the freezer to reheat for an effortless weeknight meal.

It's always easiest to slice and portion it the day after it's been baked and chilled overnight in the fridge. You can simply reheat in the oven, or in a skillet drizzled with a little olive oil over medium heat covered with a lid until warmed through.

unbaked (but decorated with asparagus spears) speck and asparagus lasagna
fully baked and bubbling asparagus and speck lasagna
a beautifully layered slab of Speck and Asparagus Lasagna
side view of a beautifully layered slab of Speck and Asparagus Lasagna

Looking for More Delicious Pasta Dishes to Make?

If you love pasta as much as we do, below are a few of our favorites that we think you might also enjoy.

pan seared shrimp in a pan full of creamy tomato alfredo
finished Duck Ragù with Bigoli pasta looking delicious
bolognese pasta square looking ooey-gooey and delicious
the most delicious creamy shrimp alfredo pasta ready to eat with huge red Argentinian shrimp on top of a zigzag regional egg pasta
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

Speck & Asparagus Lasagna (w/Asparagus Béchamel + Zucchini Crema) tips + tricks + FAQ's

  • How do I get a nicely browned and crispy cheesy top on my lasagna? Place the lasagna under the broiler during the last 10 minutes of baking time to get that bubbly golden brown top. Just be sure to watch it so it doesn't burn. Remove it from the oven when the desired color is reached.
  • What's the difference between Italian Lasagna and American Lasagna? The main difference between Italian lasagna (also known as 'lasagna al forno' is that it’s usually much lighter and less heavy than American lasagna. Also, American Lasagna typically uses a mixture of ricotta (or cottage cheese) + mozzarella + parmesan + an egg to bind it all, and the Italians typically use béchamel sauce plus Parmigiano or Grana Padano cheese and a little mozzarella. That's not to say Italians don't make lasagna with ricotta, Parmigiano, and mozzarella mixtures, but it’s not as typical. And if you do see a variation of this ricotta mixture being used, it’s often for a vegetarian-style lasagna that includes the ricotta-parm mixture, spinach, and maybe a bechamel sauce and it's not often accompanied by a red sauce. Italians also use fresh egg or dried egg lasagna noodles instead of semolina or durum wheat-only pasta.  The egg lasagna noodles are much thinner and more delicate with a nice chew versus the typical boil-and-bake style noodle most Americans grew up eating. Also, cottage cheese isn't used in Italy as a substitute for ricotta cheese like a lot of us grew up using in the South. 
  • What's Italian Speck di Asiago? If you're unfamiliar with Italian Speck it's a type of smoked prosciutto that comes from the Alto Adige (pronounced owl-toe ahh-dih-jay) region of Italy near the border with Austria. Speck is most famously produced in the mountainous city of Asiago which is in between the glacial Alps and the Dolomite mountains. This totally unique position allows for a special and uncommon microflora to flourish that isn't found anywhere else in the world. And in the process of smoking and curing Speck (over at least a 22-week period), these fungi perfume and intensely flavor the pork which is why Speck di Asiago tastes so good and has an IGP and DOP status. It's sliced paper-thin as is all prosciutto and when it's fried it's not totally dissimilar to the flavor of fried bacon. Try it, it's incredibly delicious and pairs well with Asiago cheese. 
  • Where does asparagus originally come from and where was asparagus first grown?  Asparagus originates from the Mediterranean and Asia Minor.  It was cultivated by the Greeks and Romans and so revered it was offered up to the God's as a sacrifice for blessings and used in ancient Egypt as medicine. Of course, it was first found in the wild. In Italy, you can still go asparagus hunting like L's parents used to do when he was a kid. It's harvested usually in the spring around April-May and is an excellent source of nutrition.

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Speck and Asparagus lasagna just out of the oven

Italian Speck & Asparagus Lasagna (w/Asparagus Béchamel + Zucchini Crema)

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  • Author: Kelly
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8-12 people depending on hunger level
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Description

This lasagna is filled with layers of pan-seared asparagus, delicate slices of Italian Speck (plus a little crispy-fried Speck for even more flavor), intensely sweet homemade tomato passata sauce, and generous helpings of fresh mozzarella, grated Grana Padano cheese, and our famously green (and tasty) asparagus béchamel. For anyone who may be new to cooking, I've included step-by-step recipe photos at the end of the post. 

Ingredients

  • 12 sheets (7 ounces) spinach or plain lasagna egg noodles (200g)
  • 5 ounces fresh asparagus cleaned and trimmed (150g) *for decorating top of the lasagna
  • 7 ounces asparagus cleaned and trimmed (200g) *for layering inside lasagna
  • 3 ½ ounces Italian Speck di Asiago sliced paper-thin (100g)
  • 2 balls (7 ounces) of fresh mozzarella, diced or hand-shredded (200g) (sub whole milk mozzarella)
  • 3 ounces Grana Padano cheese, or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (90g)
  • ½ recipe Asparagus Béchamel
  • 1 recipe Italian Tomato Passata Sauce or 1 recipe Classic Italian Tomato Sauce
  • zucchini crema (ingredients below)
Zucchini Crema Ingredients
  • 1 pound zucchini, diced (453g)
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (14g)
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Make the tomato sauce. Make one of our linked pasta sauces, or use your favorite recipe and set aside.
  2. Make the asparagus-béchamel sauce. Make the béchamel sauce as called for, cover with sustainable cling film, and set aside.
  3. Make the zucchini crema. In a medium pot, sauté the garlic clove in the olive oil until blistered and fragrant. Add diced zucchini and cook over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until zucchini is tender and slightly browned. Remove the garlic clove. Purée the mixture in the bowl of a food processor (or blender) until smooth. Remove to a bowl and set aside. *If you don't have a blender, simply smash the mixture with the back of a fork until slightly smooth. 
  4. Cook a portion of the speck. Remove the larger fat trim from around the edges of the Speck slices and cook it over medium heat in a skillet. Add a small handful of the tough or drier meat parts of speck (the meat part) and cook along with the fat until crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove the crispy Speck to a cutting board and finely chop. *Use only a small portion of speck to fry because the rest will be layered into the lasagna (see photos below).
  5. Blanch 7 ounces of asparagus + pan-sear it (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, shake off excess water, and place them in a single layer directly into a pre-heated skillet drizzled with olive oil and cook over medium-high heat. Season with salt and sear the asparagus for 1 to 2 minutes, 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. Add the asparagus slices to the bowl with crispy fried speck and toss everything together. *Be sure to not overcook asparagus in this step (because they cook further in the oven while the lasagna bakes). 
  6. Blanch 5 ounces of asparagus (for decorating the top of the lasagna). In the same pot of boiling water, add 5 ounces (150g) of asparagus, and blanch for approximately 1 minute until it's turned bright green. Immediately remove the asparagus from the boiling water, and drop them into a bowl of ice water for 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 vertically (from top to bottom). Set aside until ready to decorate the assembled lasagna.
  7. 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. *for step-by-step photos of lasagna assembly scroll to the end of the post.
    • tomato sauce, Grana Padano, lasagna noodles, béchamel, ½ of the chopped asparagus + crispy prosciutto mixture, tomato sauce, Speck, Grana Padano, mozzarella, lasagna noodles, all of the zucchini crema, tomato sauce, Grana Padano, last ½ of the chopped asparagus + crispy prosciutto mixture, torn pieces of speck, lasagna noodles, béchamel, tomato sauce, mozzarella, Grana Padano, end by decorating with the blanched asparagus spear halves.
  8. Bake the lasagna. Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350°F/176°C oven for 50 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered until bubbling and golden brown on top (about 10-15 minutes more). Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. You may also turn on the broiler to brown the top, but be sure to stay and keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Enjoy!

Notes

  • During baking, 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.

LASAGNA ASSEMBLY IN ORDER OF LAYERS

  • Asparagus béchamel, tomato sauce, Grana Padano, lasagna noodles, béchamel, ½ of the chopped asparagus-crispy speck mixture, tomato sauce, speck, Grana Padano, mozzarella, lasagna noodles, all of the zucchini crema, tomato sauce, Grana Padano, last half of asparagus-crispy speck mixture, torn pieces of Speck. lasagna noodles. asparagus béchamel, tomato sauce, mozzarella, Grana Padano, blanched asparagus spear halves to decorate the top.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Oven Bake
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ⅛

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Italian Speck & Asparagus Lasagna (w/Asparagus Béchamel + Zucchini Crema) step-by-step recipe photos

How to Make Classic Tomato Sauce 

raw carrots added to a pot with EVOO, smashed garlic clove, and onions to cook
soft onions, carrots and single garlic clove cooked in EVOO
a special jar of Mutti Tomato passata with tomatoes from a specific farm in Italy
pouring added water swirled into the tomato jar to release all the tomatoes, into the pot
removing the garlic clove from the tomato sauce before using it
Classic italian tomato sauce.

Blanch + Sear the Asparagus and Speck Fat (plus a little extra Speck meat)

raw asparagus spears and rounds, trimmed of the tough end pieces
blanching asparagus spears in boiling salted water
blanching cut asparagus spears
perfectly blanched asparagus spears (5 total) in a bowl of ice water
perfectly blanched asparagus spears (5 total)
holding up a piece of speck to show the fat that can be trimmed off the sides and sauteed
trimmed speck fat in a skillet to render
trimmed speck fat in a skillet to render and starting to brown and become crispy
fried speck and sauteed asparagus rounds on a small white plate all mixed together

Make the Zucchini Crema

A single smashed garlic clove in EVOO in a small pan being sautéed.
A blistered garlic clove that's golden brown.
diced zucchini added to a pot with olive oil and a single blistered garlic clove
soft and lightly browned sauteed zucchini
soft and lightly browned sauteed zucchini in a food processor
pureed sauteed zucchini in the bowl of a food processor) zucchini crema

How to Make the Asparagus Béchamel

How to Assemble the lasagna

asparagus bechamel in a casserole dish dotted with deep red tomato passata sauce
smoothed out tomato passata sauce in a casserole dishe
dollops of tomato passata sauce in a casserole dish sprinkled with grana padano cheese and covered with sliced asparagus rings and crispy speck
smoothed out tomato passata sauce in a casserole dish sprinkled with grana padano cheese and covered with sliced asparagus rings and crispy speck
fully baked and bubbling asparagus and speck lasagna
a beautifully layered slab of Speck and Asparagus Lasagna

 

LASAGNA ASSEMBLY LIST BY LAYERS:

  • béchamel
  • tomato sauce
  • Grana Padano
  • lasagna noodles
  • béchamel
  • ½ of the chopped asparagus + crispy prosciutto mixture
  • tomato sauce
  • Speck
  • Grana Padano
  • mozzarella
  • lasagna noodles
  • all of the zucchini crema
  • tomato sauce
  • Grana Padano
  • last half of asparagus and crispy Speck mixture
  • torn pieces of Speck
  • lasagna noodles
  • béchamel
  • tomato sauce
  • mozzarella
  • Grana Padano
  • blanched asparagus spear halves

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