Lasagna with asparagus and sausage

Name: Lasagna with asparagus and sausage
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Lasagne egg pasta 9 oz; Asparagus (to be cleaned) 1.5 lbs; Sausage 0.7 lb; Mozzarella cheese 1 ¼ cup; Grana Padano PDO cheese (to grate) 1.4 oz; White wine 0.4 cup; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Whole milk 2.1 cups; Type 00 flour 0.8 cup; Butter 5 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

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Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serving: 6
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Gessica Runcio

Lasagna with asparagus and sausage, straight from Northern Italy, shows off how seasonal veggies can really switch up a classic dish. You get that familiar layered pasta vibe, but there's a fun twist: fresh asparagus and flavorful sausage in every bite. And look, folks in the north often pair these two together, and it just works—tender asparagus brings out a juicy side to the sausage, and everything’s layered up with a creamy besciamella. What really makes this asparagus and sausage lasagna different is this smart trick with the sauce: using the tougher parts of the asparagus to cook up the besciamella, so nothing goes to waste. Pretty clever. It's all about making things rich and full of flavor while being smart about not tossing out the good stuff. Plus, it gives the dish that unique Northern Italian charm.

So here's the thing, during spring, Italian kitchens often swap out heavier ingredients for lighter, fresher ones. That's where lasagna with asparagus and sausage totally fits in. This combo is super popular in various easy lasagna recipes and even in risottos and savory pies around the region. The whole thing gets baked until it’s golden on top, with a bit of crispy edge to the pasta and that moist feeling inside from the creamy sauce. It’s the kind of food that makes for an awesome family meal—there’s something about a sausage and asparagus lasagna recipe that just feels like the start of spring. Really comforting. It works great as a comfort food but still gives you that seasonal, Italian touch.

Whether you call it an Italian sausage lasagna or just your new favorite homemade lasagna, it’s hard to beat the taste and the smart way it uses up every part of the veggie. For anyone into comfort food recipes or looking for a cool twist on the usual baked pasta dish, this is one that’s worth putting on the table as soon as asparagus pops up at the market. Enjoy it with friends or family for a meal that shows the best of Northern Italy.

INGREDIENTS

Lasagne egg pasta 9 oz (250 g)

Asparagus 1.5 lbs (700 g) - (to be cleaned)

Sausage 0.7 lb (300 g)

Mozzarella cheese 1 ¼ cup (150 g)

Grana Padano PDO cheese 1.4 oz (40 g) - (to grate)

White wine 0.4 cup (100 g)

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Fine salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

For the Béchamel sauce: Whole milk 2.1 cups (500 g); Type 00 flour 0.8 cup (100 g); Butter 5 tbsp (70 g); Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Lasagna with asparagus and sausage

To make the lasagna with asparagus and sausage, first clean the asparagus: remove the hardest part of the stem 1, then peel the rest with a vegetable peeler 2 and keep the scraps. Leave the tips whole and cut the stems into slices 3.

Boil the scraps obtained with the vegetable peeler in salted boiling water to obtain asparagus broth, which will take just a few minutes 4 5. Strain the broth 6 and keep 21 oz aside. Also save the scraps.

In the meantime, heat a splash of oil in a pan 7, add the asparagus 8, salt, and pepper. Sauté over high heat for a few minutes, then deglaze with white wine 9 and let it evaporate. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Now for the sausage: break it into pieces with your hands after removing the casing 10, then brown it in a pan with a drizzle of oil for a few minutes 11, breaking it up with a wooden spoon 12.

Now prepare the béchamel sauce: heat the milk, and in the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan 13. Once melted, add the flour all at once and stir quickly with a whisk 14 until you get a golden mixture, the roux 15.

Slowly add the hot milk, while continuing to stir 16, then also pour in the asparagus broth 17, season with salt and pepper 18.

Continue stirring over low heat, until you reach the desired consistency 19. When the béchamel has thickened, add the asparagus broth scraps 20 and blend with an immersion mixer to obtain a smooth cream 21.

You are ready to assemble the lasagna: spread a layer of béchamel on the bottom of a 8x12 inch baking dish, then lay down the pasta sheets 22 and cover with more béchamel 23. Distribute some of the sautéed asparagus 34.

Add some pieces of browned sausage 25, then sprinkle with grated Grana Padano DOP 26 and finely cut mozzarella 27. Repeat the layers in this order until all ingredients are used up.

Once the final layer is completed 28, bake the lasagna in a static preheated oven at 355°F-375°F for about 40 minutes 29. When the surface is nicely golden 29, remove from the oven and serve your lasagna with asparagus and sausage 30!

Storage

Lasagna with asparagus and sausage can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days, in an airtight container. If you prefer, you can assemble them in advance and bake the next day, which will make them even more flavorful.

You can freeze them before or after baking.