Bechamel Sauce Lasagna with Ham and Zucchini
This Brazilian-inspired lasagna is layered with creamy béchamel sauce, ham, zucchini, and melted cheese for a rich and comforting dish. It’s easy to assemble and bakes up golden and bubbly. A cozy twist on a classic Brazilian favorite!
Servings 8 Servings
Ingredients
Bechamel Sauce
- ¼ cup Butter salted or unsalted
- ¼ cup All purpose Flour, unbleached
- 2 cups 1% Milk skim, 2% or whole will work
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
Other Lasagna
- 12 Fresh Lasagna Sheets or 18 dry lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces Sliced Deli Ham
- 2 Zucchini Medium
- 16 ounces Mozzarella shredded
- 8 ounces Gruyere slices or shredded
Instructions
- Prepare the zucchini by cutting it into long strips from stem to stem that are about ¼ inch thick. They will resemble the size of lasagna noodles. You should get 4 long strips per zucchini.
- Mince the garlic. Prep the cheeses if needed. In a small bowl, mix the dried oregano, salt, and pepper (half will go in sauce, half will go into layers).
- Make the Bechamel Sauce. First, warm the milk slightly in the microwave or in a pot. Preheat a separate medium sauce pot on medium-low heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until fully combined into a smooth thick mixture. Stir in the minced garlic and HALF of the seasoning mix (oregano, salt, pepper). Remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
- Before you start to assemble, make sure that your lasagna noodles are ready. If they are no-boil noodles, you are set. Otherwise, you need to par-cook them in boiling water for just a few minutes so they are pliable.
- Layer 1 – Start by spooning a thin layer of the bechamel sauce onto the bottom, just so the pasta sheets don’t stick to the bottom. Then add the first layer of lasagna noodles. Layer white sauce over the noodles and then top with HALF of the ham slices. Next, top with a layer of HALF of the Zucchini strips (usually 4 strips), then ⅓ of the mozzarella and HALF of the gruyere cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of the of the seasoning mix (oregano, salt, pepper).
- Layers 2 – Repeat – Add a layer of noodles, bechamel sauce, the remaining half of the ham slices, and the final layer of zucchini strips, ⅓ of the mozzarella cheese, and the remaining gruyere cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining seasoning mix (oregano, salt, pepper).
- Layer 3 (Top) - Cover with a final layer of lasagna sheets and remaining bechamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.
- Cover your lasagna with aluminum foil and then bake on the center rack for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 15 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, I turn the broiler on to get a nice browned top. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.
