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1
Make the pasta dough:
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2
(Skip this step if using store bought lasagna noodles just cook your noodles).
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3
Steam the spinach til just wilted.
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4
Cool and squeeze out excess water by wrapping it in paper towels.
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5
Then chop finely and set aside.
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6
In a bowl or on the counter, mound the flour and make a well in the center.
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7
Crack the eggs into the well and, using a fork, blend the eggs.
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8
Add the chopped spinach to the eggs and beat with the fork.
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9
Slowly begin to incorporate the flour.
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10
If you are using part semolina flour, you may want to add a couple of teaspoons of water to make the dough easier to work with.
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11
Transfer the dough to the counter and knead, adding more flour if needed.
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12
Incorporate enough flour to make a nice soft dough that doesnt stick to your hands, but is still moist.
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13
This may take more flour than one cup (it depends on the quality of your eggs, how moist your spinach is, etc.).
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14
I used more than one cup of flour.
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15
Wrap dough in floured plastic and let rest on counter for about 30 minutes.
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16
Make the filling:
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17
Trim root ends off of leeks and trim off dark green leaves.
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18
Leave some of the lighter green part of the leeks.
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19
Slice leeks in half, vertically.
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20
Wash if there is dirt inside.
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21
Slice leeks one more time, vertically, to make quarters.
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22
Then slice horizontally and make sure the slices are very thin.
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23
In a large saute pan, cook pancetta until slightly crisp.
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24
Add leeks, salt and pepper and saute gently for about 5 minutes, until leeks are soft but not brown.
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25
Add garlic and saute for one minute.
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26
Remove from heat and add chopped parsley.
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27
Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
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28
Make the bechamel sauce:
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29
In a medium heavy pot, melt the butter.
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30
Add the flour and with a whisk, stir the mixture for a couple of minutes, letting the flour cook but not burn.
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31
Add the chicken bouillon cube and whisk.
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32
Slowly add the milk and stir with the whisk.
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33
Keep adding some milk, whisk, and add more milk until all the milk has been used.
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34
Add the salt and pepper and ground nutmeg and cook for a few minutes, gently, until bechamel is thick.
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35
Transfer to a heat proof bowl and allow to cool, stirring every once in a while.
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36
Make the pasta sheets:
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37
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a simmer.
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38
Divide dough into 4 pieces.
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39
(You want to end up with three foot-long pasta sheets for each gratin dish.)
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40
With pasta rollers, roll out dough starting at widest setting, #1.
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41
Dust dough with flour to prevent sticking, fold in half and insert into widest setting again.
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42
Repeat a few times.
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43
The dough will be very soft now.
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44
Adjust rollers to #2 and insert dough again.
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45
Do not fold this time.
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46
Dust with dough if pasta is sticky and keep adjusting rollers until you get to setting #5.
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47
After dough goes through setting #5, measure pasta sheet.
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48
It should measure at least 30 inches.
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49
If it doesnt, insert into #5 again and hold pasta a little taught, letting it stretch as it goes through rollers.
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50
You should have a 30 inch sheet of pasta.
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51
Cut into three 10-inch pieces.
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52
(When pasta sheets cook, they will end up being about a foot long).
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53
Set on clean counter.
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54
Repeat with remaining 3 pieces of dough.
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55
Place a colander or strainer into a medium size heat proof bowl.
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56
Place next to stove.
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57
Have a handled strainer or spider ready.
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58
Lay a clean towel on counter.
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59
Have 3 more clean towels ready.
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60
Bring the pot of water up to a boil.
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61
Lower three sheets of pasta slowly into the water.
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62
Boil gently for 60 seconds.
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63
With the strainer, gently lift all three sheets and place into the colander.
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64
Take bowl to sink and add cold water, gently swishing the pasta sheets with your hand.
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65
Let pasta sit in cold water for a few seconds and then lift the colander out and dump out the water.
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66
Pasta sheets should be cool enough to handle now.
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67
Lay them gently, spreading them out, onto the clean towel.
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68
Repeat this process three more times, with remaining 3 sets of pasta noodles.
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69
Lay another clean towel right on top of the first layer of pasta noodles and and lay the next set of pasta noodles right on top.
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70
Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.
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71
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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72
Assemble lasagnas:
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73
Spray 4 small gratin dishes with nonstick cooking spray.
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74
Lay one pasta sheet in each dish, allowing half to drape over.
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75
Place a spoonful of bechamel sauce on each pasta sheet and spread with a spatula.
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76
Sprinkle a small amount of the pancetta leek topping over bechamel.
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77
Grate some cheese on top.
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78
Fold pasta sheet over the filling to create another layer of pasta.
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79
You may have to fold the sheet again this is okay.
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80
Repeat with remaining pasta sheets and filling until you have made three layers of filling in each gratin dish.
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81
Fold remaining pasta sheet over the top of each dish and spread the remainder of the bechamel sauce on top.
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82
Grate some cheese on top of each gratin and sprinkle with some oregano.
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83
Place dishes on a baking sheet and cover the whole thing tightly with foil (I use Reynolds Nonstick Foil it works perfectly for lasagna, so the cheese doesnt stick).
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84
Bake lasagnas for 45 minutes at 350.
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85
Remove foil, raise oven temp to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes until tops are just golden brown.
