As we age [pause] the full afternoon if not also the previous day sauce prep lasagna project seems to occur less and less frequently. So if we deviate from the traditional bolognese approach, we need to think carefully about how to choose an ingredient lineup that won't disappoint. All that effort cannot be allowed to fall short of our stellar history as authentic Roman lasagna experts. This version is a one afternoon affair.
We have past experience with pesto lasagna, but learned that the pesto has to be used sparingly so as not to overwhelm. Artichoke lasagna had turned up in our social media, but we tried fettucine with artichokes after close friends posted a photo of this dish made for their New Year's Eve dinner and it was not spectacular in our rendition some days later. It was good, but not promising what we wanted for a lasagna project. So looking for a white lasagna, bob decided an asparagus variation of pesto lasagna might do the trick. We love asparagus, which bob never got to eat as a kid growing up in a working class family which relied on cheap frozen vegetables to survive. Needless to say, lasagna was never on the menu either, given that American cuisine in the 1950s and 1960s was pretty sad, and we had no Italian American relatives or friends. Spaghettios and Chef Boyardee canned ravioli were as close as we got. Pasta in a can says it all.
For this experiment we chose the smaller 27x20 cm (10.5x7.5 in) deep (2.4 L = 2.5 qt) ceramic baking dish, so 2/3 the size of our larger crowd size dish (13x9 in) so we did only 1 lb of fresh whole wheat pasta noodles with 4 cups of bechemal sauce. We ate three portions leaving an estimated 4 or 5 for a total of 7 or 8 portions for this effort. Who says you don't need math in real life? This lasagna again melted in our mouths as in our previous traditional ones meeting our expectations completely. Leftovers will be enjoyed.