Walnut and Rocket Lasagne

Well that was a busy semester! We managed to photograph one or two interesting meals, but none made it up here... until now! I present you, the lasagne of your dreams (if you like unusual & oddly delicious lasagne variants). It even features homemade pasta, which might make you reluctant to buy boxed noodles once you see how easy & yummy it is. The walnuts and egg noodles make this a protein and "good fats" rich meal; it is healthy and very filling!

Walnut and Rocket Lasagne
Ingredients: (makes 2 servings)
For the pasta:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
For the walnut-parmesan sauce: 
3/4 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of flour
1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil
1 1/2 cups of milk
Salt & pepper
For the fillings:
1 small or 1/2 large white onion, diced
2 small or 1 large carrot, diced
2 cups rocket (arugula)
Drizzle of oil or butter
(I put in some left over green beans too, you can see in the photo...)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1. Make the pasta: In a large bowl, combine eggs & flour. Mix until a dough forms, adding more flour if needed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth. Then leave it to rest while you cook the filling-- it will be easier to roll out after it rests. This quantity of dough makes enough for three layers in a loaf pan (it was just enough for 2 people). When you're ready to go, roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick, and cut it into rectangles using your pan as a template.

2. Make the sauce: First, finely grind the walnuts. My lovely food processor does this in seconds-- if I didn't have it, I'd use a big knife and chop, chop, chop! They don't have to be perfect. Make a white sauce by first cooking the flour and fat until brown & bubbly, then whisk in the milk and simmer, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Once it's thick enough to coat a spoon, remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts, parmesan cheese, and season to taste. Set aside.

3. Make the veggies: In a pan with a lid, fry the onion for a few minutes until softened, then throw in the carrots and cook for another five minutes or so, until just starting to soften. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the rocket, and put the lid on it to let the leaves wilt a bit.

4. Build the lasagne! Start with a thin layer of walnut sauce on the bottom of the pan, then a piece of pasta, then about 1/3 of the veggies and a bit more sauce, then pasta, then mozzarella cheese... et cetera! Finish the top with a final layer of pasta and sprinkle of cheese. Cover the pan with foil, and bake in the oven at 375 F for 20-30 minutes. Remember, you're not just melting the cheese-- you are cooking the raw eggs in the fresh noodles! Once it's cooked, remove the foil and let the cheese brown for a bit.

Enjoy!