Miso Mushroom Lasagna
Layers of seared shiitake and cremini mushrooms with ginger, mirin and spinach, bound by a silky white miso béchamel and finished with a crisp sesame panko crust. Deeply savory, creamy and vegetarian.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 25 min
- Wait
- 20 min
- Total
- 2 hr 20 min
- Makes
- 1 lasagna (8 generous squares)
Steps
Before you start
- Shred the mozzarella and grate the Parmesan before you start; the béchamel moves quickly once it begins.
- Warm the milk in the microwave (about 3 minutes on high) or in a small pot so it blends smoothly into the roux without lumps.
- Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp towel rather than soaking them; water makes them steam instead of brown.
- Set an oven rack in the middle position. You will preheat the oven during the béchamel step.
- Plan on about 2 hours 20 minutes total, including a 20-minute rest so the lasagna slices cleanly.
Boil the noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and stir in the 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Add the 12 lasagna noodles and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions (usually 7–9 minutes), stirring in the first minute so they don't stick.
- Drain, rinse briefly with cool water, and lay the noodles flat in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet or in a bowl of cool water.
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Ready when: Noodles are bendy but still have a firm bite in the center; they finish cooking in the oven.
Tip: Undercooking is intentional: noodles absorb sauce while baking and turn mushy if fully cooked now.
Sear the mushrooms
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add half of the shiitake and half of the cremini in an even layer.
- Cook without stirring for 3 minutes, then stir and cook 3–4 minutes more.
- Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining mushrooms and the last 1 tablespoon oil, returning the first batch to the pan at the end.
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Ready when: Mushrooms have released their liquid, the liquid has evaporated, and the edges are deep golden brown.
Tip: Crowding the pan steams the mushrooms and leaves them gray and watery, so work in two batches.
Flavor the filling
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- With all mushrooms in the pan, add the scallion whites, garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the soy sauce and mirin and cook 1–2 minutes until almost completely absorbed.
- Add the spinach in handfuls, stirring until wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Season with black pepper.
- Cook 1 minute more, then remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Spinach is fully wilted and the pan looks nearly dry with no pooling liquid.
Tip: Wet filling makes a soupy lasagna. If liquid remains, cook another minute or two. Don't add extra salt; the miso and soy are salty.
Make the rouxOven 375°F / 190°C
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle.
- In a 3-quart (3 L) saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Roux is smooth, bubbling gently and smells slightly nutty, but has not taken on color.
Tip: Keep the roux pale so the delicate miso flavor isn't overpowered.
Build the béchamel
- Pour in the warm milk about 1 cup at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until smooth before adding more.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a gentle simmer, then lower to medium-low and simmer, whisking often and scraping the corners, for 6–8 minutes.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean line.
Tip: If lumps form, whisk hard off the heat or pour the sauce through a fine sieve.
Stir in miso and cheese
- Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Ladle about ½ cup of the hot sauce into a small bowl, add the miso, and whisk until completely smooth.
- Pour this back into the saucepan, add the 2 oz Parmesan and the white pepper, and whisk until melted and smooth.
- Taste; it should be savory and rounded.
- You should have about 4¾ cups (1.1 L) of sauce.
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Ready when: Sauce is velvety, pale tan, and has no visible specks of miso.
Tip: Add miso off the heat. Boiling miso dulls its fragrance and can make the sauce taste flat.
Assemble the layers
- Spread 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish.
- Arrange 3 noodles lengthwise over the sauce, trimming to fit if needed.
- Top with half of the mushroom mixture, 1¼ cups sauce, and one portion (about ⅔ cup, 75 g) of the mozzarella.
- Add 3 more noodles, the remaining mushrooms, 1¼ cups sauce, and a second portion of mozzarella.
- Finish with the last 3 noodles, then spread the remaining sauce (about 1¼ cups) over the top, making sure the noodles are fully covered.
- Sprinkle with the last portion of mozzarella.
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Ready when: All noodles are covered by sauce, and the layers are level.
Tip: Any exposed noodle edge dries out and turns hard in the oven, so push the sauce right to the corners.
Bake coveredOven 375°F / 190°C
- Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cover tightly with foil (lightly oiled or sprayed on the underside so the cheese doesn't stick).
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Sauce is bubbling around the edges when you lift a corner of the foil.
Make the crust and bake uncoveredOven 375°F / 190°C
- While the lasagna bakes, toss the panko with the sesame oil in a small bowl until evenly moistened.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil, sprinkle the panko evenly over the top, then add the 1 oz Parmesan and the sesame seeds if using.
- Bake uncovered at 375°F (190°C) for 15–20 minutes more.
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Ready when: Panko is deep golden brown, the cheese has melted, and the sauce bubbles thickly at the edges.
Tip: If the topping browns before the sauce bubbles, tent loosely with foil for the final minutes.
Rest and serve
- Let the lasagna rest on a wire rack for 20 minutes so the sauce thickens and sets.
- Scatter the scallion greens over the top, cut into 8 squares with a sharp knife, and serve warm.
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Ready when: Sauce no longer runs when a corner is cut, and slices hold their shape.
Tip: Wipe the knife clean between cuts for neat layers.
Good to know
Tips
- Brown the mushrooms in batches and let them sit undisturbed; this is where most of the flavor comes from.
- Taste the béchamel before assembling. Miso brands vary in saltiness, and the sauce should be savory but not salty since the Parmesan and soy sauce also add salt.
- Keep the filling relatively dry and the sauce generous; the noodles need the sauce's moisture to finish cooking.
- Place the dish on a baking sheet in case the sauce bubbles over, and don't skip the 20-minute rest.
Make ahead
"Assemble the lasagna through step 7 (without the panko topping), cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake covered at 375°F (190°C) for 45 minutes (it starts cold), then add the topping and bake uncovered 15–20 minutes more. The mushroom filling and béchamel can also be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated; press plastic wrap onto the sauce surface to prevent a skin, and rewarm gently before assembling."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours after baking. Refrigerator: cover tightly and keep up to 4 days. Freezer: wrap individual squares well and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat squares covered with foil at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes, or microwave a single portion at 70% power for 2–3 minutes."
Substitutions
- fresh shiitake mushrooms → Additional cremini, oyster or maitake mushrooms. Use the same weight. Shiitake gives the deepest flavor, but any mix works well; dried shiitake soaked and chopped can boost the flavor.
- white (shiro) miso paste → Yellow (awase) miso. Use 3 tablespoons less (about ¼ cup, 65 g) because it is saltier and stronger. Avoid red miso, which can overpower the sauce.
- mirin → Dry sherry or dry white wine plus ½ teaspoon sugar. Use 2 tablespoons of the wine or sherry; it provides a similar sweet-acidic balance.
- whole milk → Unsweetened soy milk or oat milk. Gives a dairy-lighter sauce. Use the same amount and expect it to be a little thinner; simmer an extra 2 minutes.