Salmon Lasagna
Layers of fresh pasta, tender salmon, wilted spinach, and a generous homemade béchamel, finished with golden gruyère. Each layer brings something tasty, the salmon flakes apart, the spinach is silky from the cream, and the pasta absorbs everything around it into something completely satisfying.
Ingredients
Lasagna
- 9 fresh lasagna sheets
- 600 gr salmon fresh fillet, skinless and boneless, cut into 2cm cubes
- 700 gr spinach fresh
- 1 shallot finely sliced
- 20 gr unsalted butter
- 80 gr gruyère grated
Béchamel
- 60 ml plain flour
- 60 gr unsalted butter
- 600 ml whole milk
- 1 pinch nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch white pepper
Equipment
- baking dish approx. 30 x 20cm
Instructions
Cook and drain the spinach
- Melt the butter in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the spinach in batches, turning with tongs until completely wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander and leave to cool slightly, then press firmly with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Roughly chop and set aside.
Make the béchamel
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low to medium heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until the roux is smooth and smells faintly biscuity. Add the warm milk gradually, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.
Preheat the oven and prepare the dish
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional. Butter a rectangular baking dish approximately 30 x 20cm.
Assemble the lasagna
- Spread a generous layer of béchamel over the base of the dish. Lay 3 lasagna sheets on top. Spread half the spinach evenly over the pasta, then scatter half the salmon cubes over the spinach. Spoon over a layer of béchamel. Repeat with 3 more sheets, the remaining spinach, the remaining salmon, and another layer of béchamel. Finish with the last 3 sheets, the remaining béchamel spread generously to cover the pasta completely, and scatter over the grated gruyère.
Bake and rest
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is deep golden and bubbling at the edges. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving, this helps the layers hold together.
Notes
- Squeeze the spinach well. This is the most important step. Fresh spinach releases a lot of water when cooked. Drain it in a colander and press firmly with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Wet spinach will make the lasagna watery and the layers won't hold.
- Raw salmon goes in. Don't pre-cook the salmon. Cut into cubes and place directly into the lasagna raw, it cooks perfectly during baking and stays moist and tender. Pre-cooked salmon tends to dry out in the oven.
- Fresh lasagna sheets give a softer, more tender result and need no pre-cooking. If you only have dried sheets, pre-cook them in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain, and lay flat on a clean cloth before assembling. Add extra béchamel if using dried sheets as they absorb more sauce.
- This recipe makes slightly more than the standard single batch of béchamel, lasagna needs generous sauce between every layer. Always start and finish with béchamel.
- Frozen spinach works well if you don't have fresh. Thaw completely and squeeze very firmly to remove all liquid before using. You'll need about 400g frozen to replace 700g fresh.
- If you want to make ahead, assemble the lasagna the night before, cover with clingfilm, and refrigerate. Add 10 minutes to the baking time if cooking from cold.
- Salmon lasagna freezes well after baking. Cool completely, portion, and freeze. Reheat covered with foil at 180°C for 25 minutes from frozen.