Featured Recipe
Pea Fish Lasagne Twist
By Kate
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Layered lasagne with a mashed pea and leek base replacing some peas, creamy béchamel enriched with white wine, and tender chunks of cod and smoked haddock. Parmesan swapped for Grana Padano. Mozzarella replaced by fontina for melt and depth. Topped with panko and herb mix. Cooked until bubbling with golden crust. Rest 15 minutes before slicing. Comes together in about 1 hour 40 minutes. Serves 8. Classic but with a sea-kissed twist and fresh green hints.
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Prep:
50 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Serves:
8 servings
lasagne
seafood
dinner
comfort food
Introduction
Mashed peas upgraded, mixed with softened leeks instead of straight peas. Adds sweetness and texture you don’t get from pure pea mash. White wine in béchamel not optional here; introduces acidity, cuts heaviness from butter and creaminess. Fish combo of cod and smoked haddock for texture contrast - flaky mild meets smoky firm. Don’t just toss frozen fish in as is; take time to prep, soak smoked fish in milk or broth briefly, it makes difference in mouthfeel. Layers built like a symphony; taste builds in steps. Timing? Don’t obsess, trust bubbles, smells, colors in crust, bubbling edges, rest time. Lasagne served too hot falls apart. Cooler = better structure, better eating. Keep those crumbs crisp for texture contrast. Also, swapping parm for Grana Padano and mozzarella for fontina shifts it from classic to nuanced, more mellow cheesy profile.
Ingredients
Mashed Pea Leek Base
- 750 ml (3 cups) frozen peas thawed
- 250 ml (1 cup) chopped leek white part only
- 75 ml (1/3 cup) vegetable broth substitute chicken broth works
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
- 450 ml (1 3/4 cups) whole milk
- 200 ml (3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp) dry white wine
- Salt, white pepper, and nutmeg to preference
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) grated Grana Padano cheese
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) panko breadcrumbs mixed with dried parsley and thyme
- 12 sheets no-boil lasagne pasta
- 350 g (12 oz) cod fillets cut into chunks
- 350 g (12 oz) smoked haddock boneless skin removed
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) shredded fontina cheese
White Wine Béchamel
Lasagne Layers
About the ingredients
Take care with frozen peas. Defrost thoroughly, drain excess water or puree will be watery, kills texture. Leeks need to be clean and tender inside, no bitter dark green bits. Using white wine in béchamel adds complexity, but if not available use extra chicken or vegetable stock, reduce liquids accordingly so sauce isn’t runny. Freshly grated cheese always best – pre-grated may have anti-caking agents that stop melting properly. Don’t rush the flour cooking step in béchamel; raw taste will be obvious otherwise. For fish, balance flavors; cod too mild alone. Smoked haddock adds punch but handle gently to avoid rubbery bites. Panko crumbs with herbs is a shortcut to golden crunchy topping, skip if you prefer classic plain, bake longer for thicker crust. No-boil pasta saves soaking time but layer carefully to avoid doughy spots.
Method
Mashed Pea Leek Base
- Heat a splash of oil in skillet, sweat leeks soft no color about 5 minutes. Blend peas and cooked leeks with broth until coarse to smooth consistency. Adjust with broth to loosen if needed. Season with salt and white pepper sparingly. Should be bright green, slightly textured but spreadable.
- In heavy saucepan melt butter over medium, sweat onion and garlic gently without browning until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 1-2 minutes stirring constantly to cook raw taste out. Slowly pour in milk and white wine simultaneously whisking to avoid lumps. Bring to simmer, thickens noticeably, bubbles around edges. Lower heat, cook 2 minutes stirring. Season with salt, white pepper and fresh grated nutmeg. Set aside warm. Sauce should coat back of spoon, silky but thick enough to layer.
- Position oven rack in middle, preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly oil 33x23 cm casserole. Mix Grana Padano and panko herb crumbs; set half aside for topping.
- Spread 1/5 béchamel on bottom. Layer 3 pasta sheets overlapping. Top with half the cod and smoked haddock arrange evenly and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread 1/5 béchamel over fish.
- Add another pasta layer then spread half the pea-leek mash. Sprinkle 1/3 fontina. Cover with 3 pasta sheets.
- Repeat fish layer with remaining fish seasoned. Add 1/5 béchamel. Top with pasta layer.
- Spread rest pea-leek mash. Sprinkle remaining fontina cheese. Cover with final pasta layer.
- Spread remaining béchamel, then sprinkle reserved Grana Padano & panko mix evenly over surface.
- Place in oven, bake about 45-50 minutes until edges bubble vigorously and crust is golden-brown with some darker spots crisped but not burnt. Sound: crackling bubbles around sides. If crust not crisp enough, broil on high last 2-3 minutes watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Remove from oven and rest at least 15 minutes uncovered. Lasagne will firm up, settle layers, easier to slice neat portions.
- Serve warm with green salad or sautéed greens.
- Use frozen thawed peas if fresh unavailable; avoid waterlogged texture by draining completely before blending.
- Leeks add mild oniony sweetness; replace with green peas or scallions if needed but adjust seasoning.
- White wine in béchamel cuts richness; skip or substitute with extra broth but omit some salt.
- Fontina cheese melts beautifully, substitute mozzarella or provolone but it changes flavor profile.
- Smoked haddock can get dry; soak in milk 10 mins beforehand if you can; pat dry before layering.
- No-boil pasta speeds assembly; cook fresh lasagne sheets just shy of al dente, drain with care to avoid stickiness.
- Panko breadcrumb topping adds crunch; swap with crushed cornflakes or ground nuts if nut allergy is not an issue.
White Wine Béchamel
Layer Construction
Baking and Finishing
Tips and Alternatives
Technique Tips
Sweat aromatics low and slow in butter to develop sweetness, no browning. When adding flour, stir constantly to avoid lumps, cook 1-2 minutes for raw taste gone but no color is key. When adding liquids, pour slowly while whisking; thick béchamel formed takes patience, rushing causes lumps and thin sauce. Layering is about balance; wet ingredients alternate with drier pasta and fish. Season in layers but sparingly; too much salt accumulates with cheeses and broth. Cover base with sauce so pasta doesn’t dry out or stick. Baking until bubbling edges, crust golden is visual cue. Broil last few minutes if necessary but watch like a hawk to avoid burnt corners. Resting is an essential step; stops juices running, layers firm up for cleaner slicing. Adjust seasonings at end with freshly cracked pepper and herbs if desired.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Mash peas well. Blending should be coarse, not too watery. Drain excess moisture; runny mash is a disaster. Adjust broth for right consistency. Bright green is what you want.
- 💡 Pasta layers need balance. Alternate moist fish and dry layers. Too much wet makes it soggy. Keep pasta from sticking, especially towards the end. Tight stacking isn't ideal.
- 💡 Timing for baking. Watch edges bubble; crust must be golden-brown. Sound of crackling means progress. Last few minutes broiling can save a soggy top but stay vigilant.
- 💡 Choose fresh fish wisely. Cod works well, but don’t skip soaking smoked haddock in milk. It plumps up nicely, changing the texture. Handle gently; don’t break fish.
- 💡 If no Grana Padano, parmesan works fine but texture alters. Fontina provides melt; mozzarella can substitute but flavors shift dramatically. Be mindful of cheese melting quality.
