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A close up of a spatula picking up a slice of pistachio lasagna from a baking dish.
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Pistachio Lasagna

Use the camera icon to toggle the step-by-step photos on and off. A beautiful pistachio lasagna made with a creamy pistachio bechamel, ham, mozzarella and pecorino cheese.
Prep Time1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Resting time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 40 minutes
Course: pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Emily Wyper

Equipment

  • 9x 13-inch Baking dish
  • Food processor or immersion blender
  • Pasta machine
  • 1-2 clean kitchen towels
  • Hand whisk
  • Kitchen paper towels
  • Kitchen tongs

Ingredients

For the homemade pasta

  • 300 g Italian 00 flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) plus extra for dusting
  • 3 large eggs (167g)

Pistachio Pesto

  • 140 g (1 cup) unsalted pistachio nuts without shells
  • 20 g (2 cups) fresh basil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 60 g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano
  • 70 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

Bechamel

  • 700 ml (3 cups) milk
  • 70 g (5 tablespoons) Butter
  • 70 g (5 tablespoons) all purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper

Filling

  • 10 large slices of ham (300g/10.5oz)
  • 250 g (9oz) fresh mozzarella
  • Pecorino Romano fine grating on each layer

Instructions

To make the pasta

  • Put the flour in a mound on a clean work surface and create a wide well in the middle. Crack the eggs into the well, then whisk them together with a fork.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to mix eggs and flour together with a fork to make pasta dough.
  • Using your fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the egg until a thick paste forms, then use your hands to form a dough. Knead the dough for around 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to knead pasta dough.
  • Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

To make the bechamel

  • Add the butter to a saucepan and cook until melted and bubbling.
  • Add the flour to the butter and stir to form a paste, let it cook for about 1 minute.
  • Slowly whisk half of the milk into the flour and butter whilst constantly whisking to avoid any lumps. Once the sauce has started to thicken, add the rest of the milk.
  • Continue to heat the sauce whilst stirring until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Season it with salt and pepper then turn off the heat and set aside.

To make the pesto

  • Put the nuts, basil, garlic, grated pecorino romano and olive oil in a food processor (you can also use an immersion blender) and blitz to a thick paste. Add a few spoons of bechamel to the pesto to help it blitz until smooth.
  • Add the pesto to the bechamel and mix until thoroughly combined.

Roll out your pasta

  • Set up your pasta machine and set it to the widest setting (usually number 0). Cut your dough in half, keeping one half wrapped in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
  • Flatten the other half so it’s easier to pass through your pasta machine and pass it through the widest setting. Fold one end of the dough to the middle and the other end right over that, as if you were creating a leaflet. Flatten the dough and pass it through the widest setting again. Repeat this once more.
    Two photos showing folding pasta dough to pass through a pasta machine.
  • Next, roll the dough through each setting until you reach the third-to-last setting (usually number 7). You may need to lightly dust the pasta dough, surface and pasta machine with flour to stop it sticking.
    Two photos showing how to roll pasta dough through a pasta machine.

Blanch the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Lay out 1-2 clean dish towels to lay your blanched pasta on.
  • Cut the pasta into sheets the same size as your baking dish (or thereabouts) and blanch them 2-3 at a time for around 30 seconds in the boiling water. Remove carefully with kitchen tongs and lay on a clean kitchen towel to air dry for a few minutes. Continue with the rest of the pasta in batches.
  • Tip: I assemble the lasagna each time I have blanched a batch of pasta to save space.

Assemble

  • Spread a large spoonful of pistachio bechamel on the bottom of your 9x13-inch baking dish (you don’t have to use a lot this is just to stop the pasta from sticking).
  • Next, add a layer of blanched pasta followed by more sauce, some ham, mozzarella and a grating of Pecorino Romano. Continue layering the lasagna (I get 5 layers in total for this size dish), making the top layer just sauce and Pecorino.
    Two photos showing ham and mozzarella on a layer of lasagna then the top layer covered in sauce.

Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 200 °C/400°F static or 180 °C/350°F fan.
  • Bake the lasagna uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the top has a nice golden brown crust. Remove and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

  • Prepping ahead - you can assemble the entire lasagna 1 day before baking.
  • Storage - the lasagna will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days, once cooked. You can reheat it in the oven (covered with foil) until hot or enjoy it at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 654kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 773mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 917IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 396mg | Iron: 3mg
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