This simple but seriously delicious lasagna recipe comes from the Aosta Valley (Val d’Aosta) in Northern Italy. There are a couple of versions of lasagna Valdostana, one with tomatoes and one without. Italians often refer to pasta and pizza without tomatoes as ‘bianca’, meaning white. So this version is a lasagna bianca! In Italian, it’s called lasagne alla Valdostana.
What is ‘alla Valdostana’?
In Italy, when you see a recipe or dish described as ‘alla valdostana’, it most often includes Fontina cheese and ham, usually cooked ham. They have been making Fontina in the Aosta Valley since the 12th century.
This cheese is traditionally made with unpasteurized cow’s milk from a single milking. Fontina has a high fat content because the milk comes from cows grazing on flower-filled mountain pastures in the summer! That’s actually why it melts so well.
Italians use Fontina for fondue, which they call ‘fonduta’. However, Italian fonduta also often has butter and cream in it. These are not usually added to Swiss fondue. So, the white sauce for this lasagna Valdostana recipe is more like a cheese fondue. It is so yummy!
Apart from other pasta recipes like penne alla Valdostana, there are many other dishes called ‘alla Valdostana’. These include veal scallops, steak, chicken breast, risotto and crespelle (Italian crepes). Most of these recipes also contain ham. So, Valdostana is a bit like French cordon bleu! In fact, you could think of this recipe as a lasagna cordon bleu!!
Other cheeses for lasagna Valdostana?
Of course, it’s best to use Italian Fontina cheese to make this lasagna Valdostana. But, if you can’t find it, you can use Emmental, Gruyère, provolone or Gouda instead. What you need is a good melting cheese with a slightly pungent flavour. Italian Fontina has a gentle buttery, nutty flavor and is slightly stronger than Fontina made in France, the US or other regions of Italy. However, all types of Fontina are usually fabulous for melting.
The pasta.
I used dried lasagne sheets for this recipe but fresh or homemade would also be divine. Check out my post on homemade lasagne sheets if you want to make your own. The pasta I used for this lasagna alla Valdostana was sent to me by a company called Pasta Rigo.
This company produces durum wheat semolina egg pasta for other pasta companies and private labels. So, you can’t buy their pasta in supermarkets under their own label. But, you can buy it as a white-label product. Something I’ve been think about doing myself. I think The Pasta Project own label would be cool, don’t you?
I liked this lasagne because it didn’t need to be precooked, which is normally necessary with dried pasta. So, a great time saver. The important thing to remember when cooking with dried pasta is to make sure your sauce is quite liquid.
The ham.
Most lasagna Valdostana recipes call for cooked ham, Italians say ‘prosciutto cotto’. However, I have also found versions of this recipe with pancetta. I think that would be delicious too.
Lasagne alla Valdostana is so simple!
This is a super simple lasagna recipe. Apart from the pasta, ham and Fontina, all you need is some grated Parmigiano or Grana cheese, milk, nutmeg and white wine. If you are using normal dried pasta, you will need to parboil the sheets first. Otherwise, fresh, homemade or fine dried lasagne sheets can be used without precooking.
Then just fry the ham and it with some white wine. Melt the fontina into the milk and add some nutmeg. Finally assemble and bake. Easy peasy!
If you do try this lasagna Valdostana recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Buon Appetito!
Other pasta recipes to check out:
- Gnocchi alla Bava
- Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese
- Cheesey conchiglie pasta al forno
- Ham and cheese pasta bake
- Asparagus Lasagna
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Lasagna Valdostana (Lasagne alla Valdostana)
Ingredients
- 300 g lasagne pasta sheets (10-11oz) dried or fresh. Dried lasagne may need to be precooked very al dente before assembling the lasagna.
- 300 g Fontina cheese (10-11oz) cut into small cubes. See notes
- 200 g cooked ham (7oz) cut into cubes. You can also use pancetta
- 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana (5oz) grated
- ½ glass white wine
- butter as required
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 500 ml fresh milk (1 pint)
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Cut the ham and Fontina into small cubes
Cook the ham
- Brown the ham in a non-stick pan with a little butter, then add half a glass of white wine and a little pepper. Once the alcohol has evaporated set aside.
Make the cheese sauce
- Put the Fontina cubes in a saucepan with the milk, a pinch of salt and the grated nutmeg, and cook on a medium/low heat until the cheese has completely melted. You will need to stir continuously until all the cheese has melted.
Put your lasagna together and bake.
- Start by spreading a little fontina sauce in the bottom of your oven dish. Then add a layer of pasta and on top of that, add some tablespoons of fondue and ham. Sprinkle with grated cheese and then make the other layers the same way. Finish with a generous dose of fontina fondue and a sprinkling of grated cheese and black pepper. I made 4 layers of pasta but 3 is okay too. Depends on the depth of your dish.
- Bake the lasagna alla Valdostana in a preheated oven at 180 °c for about 35 minutes, and once ready, let it rest out of the oven for 5-10 minutes before serving. If using dried pasta that hasn't been precooked, cover the dish for the first 15 minutes with aluminium foil. Otherwise the top will brown but the pasta won't be cooked! Dried pasta all needs plenty of liquid. If your Fontina sauce is too thick add some more milk!
Lathiya says
This is the kind of recipe I'm looking forward to make on hot summer days. So simple and flavorful recipe.
Sylia says
An amazing Italian recipe. Love its simplicity and the ingredients are my family's favorite. Thanks for sharing.
Relle says
Love a good lasagna recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah James says
Your lasagne looks delicious, I love Fontina cheese. I like how quick and easy it is to make.
Ai says
Looks simple yet delicious! I've never had lasagna other than the classic style.
Jere Cassidy says
I love this take on lasagna with the white sauce and the ham. That is interesting about the cow milk that is used for the fontina. This is why I love the pure Italian ingredients you always talk about.
Jen | Jen's Food Lab says
Wow, those layers are amazing! Thank you for including the tips about all the different cheeses that would work for this recipe! Super helpful 🙂
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
Never heard about Aosta Valley before vt this lasagna looks so comforting!!
LaRena Fry says
My goodness, this looks so good I am drooling. It won't let me click on the stars, but if I could I would give it 5 stars.
Taleen | Just As Tasty says
Oooh I love lasagna but have never tried lasagna valdostana. Something tells me I need to make this ASAP!
Candice says
This is such a hearty and delicious lasagne! I love the choice to use fontina, and the flavors are just awesome. Will be making this one again!
Sivaranjani says
i never tasted fontina cheese but it looks really rich and delicious. I Should check whether i can get it in my place.
Maria says
This lasagna looks delicious! I love the addition of the ham. When we visited Italy, it was the first time I had lasagna without red sauce and we loved it!
Aditi Bahl says
Have never tried this one before. But reading your post I feel like really trying this soon. Thanks for explaining in detail. Lasagna recipes can be quite intimidating but you made it so simple, that I can try this.
Stine Mari says
I love the reason why Fontina cheese is so great for melting. Happy cows, great cheese! This lasagna bianca looks spectacular, so much flavor.
Beth says
Just the description of the fontina made from the milk from a single milking makes me want to travel to Italy and taste it in person. And the wine and the nutmeg would bring out all that cheesey flavor, yum.
Eva says
And let us not forget pizza alla valdostana! It's quite common in Piemonte, where Fontina is very common (as well as Fontal). Although a big fan of the ham and fontina combination, I have never had it as lasagna, so I'm excited to try this recipe. I cannot get my hands on any fontina here in Sweden, unfortunately, but there is a local washed-rind cheese that has a similar texture that could be nice to try. Thank you for the inspiration!
veenaazmanov says
Love the super delicious and flavorful dish. Amazing combinations and yummy flavors definitely makes this dish special. My family loves such amazing treats.
Emily says
This pasta recipe is so rich and flavorful! Love making this and the fontina cheese is so delicious!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says
I have had lasagne alla valdostana and it is such a delicious dish! That creamy cheese sauce, the ham, and the al dente sheets, I am salivating just thinking about it!