Mushroom Lasagne Serves 4 to 6

1 ounce dried porcini or morels
Béchamel Sauce using 2 ½ cups of milk, 4½ tablespoons butter, 4½ tablespoons flour, salt and white pepper, 1/8, teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 pound Portobello mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped parsley
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 pound instant lasagne, dried lasagne, or Egg pasta
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cover the porcini with 1 cup warm water and set aside to soak. Make the béchamel sauce Cook it in a double boiler over simmering water or over low heat along with the stems from the Portobello mushrooms. After 30 minutes, remove the stems. Strain the porcini and add the liquid to the sauce.

Coarsely chop the porcini. Heat half the oil and butter in a wide skillet over high heat. Add half the white mushrooms and sauté until they begin to colour around the edges and pepper, and remove them to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms, including the porcini. Add any juices that collects to the sauce.

Butter a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of pasta, then with ½ cup béchamel sauce, one-fourth of the filling, and 2 tablespoons grated cheese. Repeat this layering until you have four layers of filling. Spread the final layer of pasta with the remaining sauce and cheese.

When ready to eat preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover the lasagne with foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Removed the foil and continue baking until browned in spots on top, 10 to 15 minutes more.

You can have this fragrant mushroom lasagne ready for baking in less than an hour if you use instant lasagne. I make only four layers of mushrooms with dried lasagne; with fresh, which is thinner, I prefer to make six.