Lasagna is one of those dishes that I make far too rarely. But why is that? It’s anything but complicated or time-consuming to prepare. Plus, you can always combine this Italian classic with different ingredients, so it never gets boring. Take for example our salmon and leek lasagna with creamy dill béchamel, it’s the perfect mix of the fresh and filling.
Our Recipe for Salmon and Leek Lasagna
Lasagna is a verified Italian classic: The traditional version consists of a flavorful tomato and bolognese sauce layered between pasta sheets. The highlight is the creamy béchamel sauce that tops the lasagna along with grated cheese. Just thinking about it makes my stomach rumble and mouth water.
But how about a lighter, fresher version to delight the senses? If you replace the ground meat with salmon and leeks, and the tomatoes with a white sauce, you’ll soon have a delicious salmon and leek lasagna baking in your oven, filling your kitchen with its enticing aroma. Let’s get started!
Fresh salmon, aromatic leeks, and a creamy white dill sauce with a béchamel base, plus pasta: That’s all you need for an extra special comfort food dish. To make the lasagna, first clean the leeks and then cut them into pieces or rings. Sauté them in a pan with hot oil until translucent, and then set them aside. Dice the salmon, making sure your filets are cut into bite-sized cubed. Now, all you need to do is make a béchamel sauce from butter, milk, cream, flour, and seasonings. Refine it with chopped dill to add an herbaceous twist to your sauce and garnish your lasagna with.
Now it’s time to start layering the lasagna in a baking dish. Start with the sauce, place lasagna sheets on top, cover them with leeks and salmon, pour more sauce over top, and repeat until all the ingredients are used up. Finish with a layer of béchamel and sprinkle the lasagna with grated Parmesan cheese to complete the dish with creamy aplomb. Now all that’s left is to let your lasagna cook in the oven as you take a load off. Enjoy!
Looking for more Italian-inspired cooking? Then don’t miss our tortellini caprese casserole, Mediterranean macaroni casserole, and baked ziti.
Salmon and Leek Lasagna
Equipment
- 1 9×13 in. baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 leeks
- 1 bunch fresh dill
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil for sautéing
- 14 oz fresh salmon filets skinless
- salt & pepper
- 12-15 lasagna sheets (9 oz.)
- 2 tbsp butter plus extra for greasing the dish
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Thoroughly wash the leeks, remove the roots. Halve them lengthwise and chop them. Likewise, wash the dill and chop it.
- Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the leeks until softened. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Wash the salmon, pat it dry, and cube it. Season the fish with salt and pepper and then set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and whisk the two ingredients together until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream until a smooth sauce forms. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and stir in the dill.
- Grease the baking dish with butter. Pour a thin layer of the sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Then, place a layer of lasagna sheets on top. Distribute the salmon cubes and leeks over the lasagna sheets, and pour another layer of sauce over them. Repeat this process until all ingredients are used up.
- Finish with a layer of sauce and sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top.
- Place the lasagna in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Let the lasagna cool for 5 minutes after baking. Finally, sprinkle with fresh dill before serving.