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1
Boil the noodles in well salted water until al dente.
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2
Drain well, and lay all the strips out to dry on paper towels.
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3
Wash basil leaves well in several changes of water.
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4
Blanch in boiling water just until limp.
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5
Using a slotted spoon, immediately plunge into ice water to cool.
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6
Drain again and squeeze dry.
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7
Place in blender with parsley, garlic and oil, and puree until smooth.
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8
Season with pepper to taste, and set aside.
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9
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat.
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10
Whisk in the flour until smooth and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes.
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11
Slowly whisk in the half-and-half.
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12
Raise heat and cook, whisking, until thickened and smooth.
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13
Stir in the Parmigiano.
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14
Let cool slightly, then stir in the pesto until completely blended.
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15
Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
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16
Liberally butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
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17
Spoon a little of the pesto sauce over the bottom of the pan.
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18
Line with 3 strips of the noodles.
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19
With a rubber spatula, top each strip evenly with sauce.
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20
Sprinkle with about a quarter of the mozzarella and Monterey Jack.
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21
Repeat with three more layers, using all the noodles, and most of the sauce and cheese.
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22
Pour all the remaining sauce over, smoothing the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
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23
Cover pan tightly with foil, and bake 20 minutes.
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24
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
