White Lasagna

Start by making a basic bechamel sauce: 

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan and then whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour.   Let this cook for about 1 minute, whisking gently so it doesn't burn.  Then slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk, add a pinch of pepper, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg (go easy on the nutmeg, a little goes a long way).  Continue to whisk over low heat for about 5-7 minutes until it gets thick  and then take it off the heat and let it cool and set a bit.  Optional: You could also crush a clove of garlic and let it cook in the sauce to add some additional flavor.

Once the sauce is done, line a baking dish with a thin coating of the sauce, and cover it with no-bake lasagna noodles (Barilla and San Giorgio brands are both very good).

Now your imagination is your guide -- you can make your next layer any combination of ricotta, mozzarella, fontina, shredded chicken, shredded proscioutto, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, or anything else you think would be tasty in your creation.

Continue layering the fillings, noodles and sauce till you get to the top of the baking dish.  Cover the top layer of noodles with more sauce, and sprinkle with parmigiana reggiano cheese or a good romano (I like locatelli best).

Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until it's bubbling around the edges and the cheese on top forms a nice light brown crust.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.