Lasagne with Radicchio, Chestnut Cream and Bacon

Lasagne with Radicchio, Chestnut Cream and Bacon
© Lena Staal

Lasagne with Radicchio, Chestnut Cream and Bacon

Lasagne can be much more than a vehicle for the pasta sauce from the day before. Here we layer radicchio, chestnuts and bacon to create a sweet-bitter-salty version of the classic.

Ingredients (6 servings)
250 g lasagne sheets, preferably freshly made with egg
750 g chestnuts, precooked
3 head red radicchio
5 shallots, finely chopped
100 ml dry white wine
500 ml milk
300 g bacon, cut into strips
50 g Parmesan or Grana Padano, grated
2-3 tablespoon(s) olive oil, for frying
salt
pepper
1 pinch(es) nutmeg, freshly grated

Preparation:

  • If you are using dried lasagne sheets, put the sheets in a pan of cold water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Remove and pat dry.
  • Mash the chestnuts in a bowl using a potato masher.
  • Halve the radicchio, remove the stalks and cut into wide strips.
  • Heat a little olive oil in a pan over a gentle heat, add the shallots and fry until translucent. Add the radicchio and fry until soft. Set the shallots and radicchio aside.
  • Add the white wine to the pan and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the base. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Pour the milk into a saucepan, season with nutmeg and a little salt and bring to just below boiling. When it is gently simmering, stir in the chestnuts. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until a homogeneous cream forms. Stir in the sauce from the pan.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  • Assemble the lasagne in an ovenproof dish: spread a layer of the chestnut cream over the base, place a lasagne sheet on top, spread with more chestnut cream and top first with radicchio, then with bacon and, finally, grated Parmesan. Repeat the layering process until all sheets are used up. Finish with chestnut cream, radicchio, bacon and Parmesan.
  • Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling.



Discover more
Pasta Alla Norma
Pasta
Pasta alla Norma
In the cookbook 'Globi's Italian Cuisine', star chef Gualtiero Marchesi tells how to make this...
Find out more
Linguine al Pesto Genovese
Pasta
Linguine al Pesto Genovese
Chef Severin Corti serves his version of this classic dish, which comes from the area around Genoa...
By Severin Corti