When Lisa moved to Piemonte in Northern Italy, she first tasted Lasagne with Broccolini and Sausage in a creamy, velvety Besciamella sauce. This combination takes comfort food to a whole new level!

Watch Lisa make this Lasagne on the Lisa’s Italian Kitchen YouTube Channel here.

Lisa’s Lasagne with Broccolini and Sausage Ingredients:

For the sausage and broccolini filling: 

2 tablespoons  unsalted butter

2 lbs Broccolini, cut in 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 lbs sweet Italian sausage, loose

For the Besciamella: 

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup unbleached flour

2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon Sicilian Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the lasagne: 

2 lbs imported Italian lasagne

2 cups Fontina cheese

2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Lisa’s Lasagne with Broccolini and Sausage Directions:

Place the Broccoli Rabe, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on a jelly roll pan and roast at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, place the remaining 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Italian Sausage. Sauté the sausage until it is cooked completely. Drain well in a colander. Set aside.

In another large frying pan, melt the stick of butter and stir in the flour until it is completely absorbed by the butter to form a paste. Add the milk to the flour and butter mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it forms a velvety, thick white sauce. Add the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, cook the lasagne for 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain and put under cold water. Dry between cotton cloths.

In a deep dish lasagne pan, begin layering: first, besciamella sauce, then a layer of lasagne noodles, broccolini, sausage, Fontina cheese and Parmigiano. End on the top of the lasagne with a layer of noodles, topped with the Fontina cheese and Parmigiano.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.