Tomato Lasanga

Fresh tomato sauce? Check.

Fresh Parmesan cheese? Check.

Easy bechamel? Check.

Tomato lasagna? Yes please!

I've never made a lasagna like this. Now, I don't think I make any other lasagna but this. By using a bechamel instead of ricotta or other mixture of cheese, the texture is a delicious sort of velvet in your mouth. And the taste? Well, other than the best lasagna you'll ever have, it's creamy, rich, and yet light, but oh so satisfying.

Tomato Lasanga

12 quick cooking lasanga noodles

1 batch of fresh tomato sauce*

2/3 cup flour

1/4 pound (1 stick) butter

3 cups milk, warmed

1 cup heavy cream, warmed

salt & pepper to taste

a pinch of ground nutmeg

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Make Bechamel:

In a medium sized sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat. Upon melting whisk in the flour until incorpated and thick. Slowly, but continuously, whisk in the warmed cream/milk. The mixture will thicken rapidly at first but it's important that you keep whisking and adding liquid. After all the liquid has been added, throw in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to whisk for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture has a thick and creamy texture. Remove from heat to assemble lasagna.

Assemble Lasagna:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 glass or ceramic baking dish and cover the bottom with a thin layer of bechamel. Lay three of the lasagna noodles side by side to cover the bottom. Ladle a good amount of tomato sauce to spread over the noodles, cover with two ladles of bechamel and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Continue layering until all the sauce and noodles are used. Top with remaining bechamel and parmesan cheese.

Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.