Poached salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno (lasagna)

Spring is sprung and asparagus season has started here in Northern Italy! There are so many delish pasta with asparagus recipes but this poached salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno is one you are definitely going to want to try!

Ways Italians prepare asparagus.

It’s asparagus season and asparagus are everywhere here in Veneto. Fat or thin, green, white or purple, wild or cultivated, Italians love asparagus and they have so many recipes for this spring perennial vegetable.

They steam or boil the asparagus and serve them with different condiments like Parmesan and butter, gremolata or even with capers and anchovies.

They make asparagus frittata  and crepes and asparagus risotto is practically a staple here in Northern Italy this time of year. And, of course, asparagus find their way into numerous pasta dishes, like this to-die-for poached salmon and asparagus lasagna.

Some asparagus history.

People have been eating asparagus since 3000 B.C. The exact origins of asparagus are hazy. Like many vegetables, asparagus originated as a wild plant (wild asparagus grow in many parts of Italy) .

Certainly the ancient Egyptians ate them as they appear in Egyptian writings. And, the ancient Romans and Greeks loved them too! In fact, the word ‘asparagus’ comes from the Greek ‘asparagos’ meaning sprout or shoot.

The Romans were the first people to cultivate asparagus. They ate them fresh in season and dried them for the winter. They also froze them! Apparently the Romans sent tons of these veggies high into the alps to freeze them for the feast of Epicurious and the Emperor Augustus even built ‘an asparagus fleet’ so that asparagus could be shipped all over the Empire!

Asparagus in Italy.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, asparagus lost popularity but began to be re-cultivated in Europe in the 1500s. Here in Veneto, asparagus fields abound. Italy is the leading producer of green asparagus in Europe and the third for white asparagus.

There are some types of Italian asparagus which have DOP classification from the European Union, such as the white asparagus from Bassano del Grappa.

The purple asparagus ‘Violetto d'Albenga’ from Liguria was the first type of purple asparagus ever to be developed. A recipe for those is waiting to be made, just as soon as I can get my hands on some of those tasty wonders!

Poached salmon and asparagus lasagne recipe.

Since I live in the region that cultivates the most asparagus in Italy, it’s not surprising that we eat so much here in the spring! I love baked pasta so, when I was looking for a new asparagus pasta recipe to post and saw this poached salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno, it was love at first sight! It was also love at first bite!

Ingredient notes for this lasagne al forno.

For the poached salmon.

Salmon: I used fresh skinless and boneless salmon fillet. If you have salmon with a skin you can remove it before or after poaching. The salmon should be firm to the touch and have a vibrant color. These are both signs of freshness.

You could use canned salmon which would make this recipe faster. But poaching the salmon gives it lots of flavor and is definitely worth doing. Alternatively, this is a great recipe if you have leftover poached or baked salmon.

Onion and celery: These aromatic vegetables are used in the poaching liquid, most of which is discarded once the salmon is cooked.

Dill: Fresh dill weed is often used with salmon and shrimp. It has a fresh slightly anise flavor. If you don't have it, you can use fennel fronds. These have a milder anise flavor but are a good substitute. I wouldn't recommend dill or fennel seeds as they are a lot stronger and more concentrated and may smother the taste of the salmon.

Lemon: I used the juice of one lemon and some lemon slices in the poaching liquid. The lemon used here doesn't need to have an edible peel but for the lemon zest in the béchamel, you will need to use an organic unwaxed lemon.

For the béchamel.

This lasagna recipe calls for a homemade béchamel made with flour, butter and milk with added lemon zest, Parmigiano cheese and stracchino cheese.

Stracchino: The creaminess of the béchamel sauce comes mostly from the use of stracchino cheese. Stracchino (stra-key-no) also called quartirolo or crescenza, is a fresh young cheese with a soft, creamy and buttery texture and a mild flavor. If you don't have stracchino, you can use cream cheese, mascarpone or ricotta.

Parmigiano Reggiano: This salmon and asparagu lasagne al forno calls for grated Parmigiano in the béchamel and sprinkled over the top of the lasagna before baking. Freshly grated is always best for flavor and texture. If Parmesan cheese isn't available you can use Grana instead.

Other Ingredients.

Lasagne sheets: I used fresh store-bought lasagne sheets and didn’t precook them. But, you can use dried or even homemade. However, you’ll need to par-boil the dried lasagne sheets beforehand. Don’t forget to keep them very al dente as the pasta will finish cooking in the oven.

Asparagus: You could use fresh green or white asparagus. I prefer green. I think they have more flavor. The asparagus in this recipe are poached before assembling the lasagna. However, you could also roast them as I did in my asparagus lasagna recipe. Roasting the asparagus spears really gives them a lovely sweet flavour. 

Shrimps: I love to add shrimp to this salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno. But you can omit them. I often make this dish without. To avoid a lot more prep time, I use ready cooked vacuum packed large shrimp. Of course, you can use fresh shrimp instead, but you will need to cook them before assembling the dish.

Step by step instructions.

Like other lasagna recipes, this poached salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno requires a bit of work and needs to be made in stages. However, nothing takes very long. The asparagus can be boiled or steamed but they only need 5-10 minutes. Poaching the salmon takes about 20-25 minutes and making the béchamel not even ten!

Poach the salmon.

1) Place the salmon in a poaching pan or large deep skillet that has a lid. Add peeled and chopped onion, washed and chopped celery, lemon juice and slices, a bay leaf and enough water to fill the pan but not cover the salmon completely.

2) Cook the salmon covered from cold for about 20 minutes. Turn it over for the last five minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish and place it in a flat dish where you can shred it or cut it into small pieces. Discard the poaching liquid.

Prepare the asparagus.

1) Wash the asparagus and break off the tough end of the stalks. This is easily done by just bending them and they will break at the right part. Group the asparagas in bunches kept together with a thick elastic band or string.

2) Stand them in a pot of water that reaches abut half way up the spears. Bring the water to a boil and cook the asparagus for 5-10 minutes until they are al dente but not soft. Remove from the water and plunge them in cold water to discontinue cooking.

3) Cut the stalks into small pieces but keep the spears intact.

Make the béchamel (white sauce)

1) As with normal béchamel, melt the butter over a low heat and then add the flour whilst stirring all the time until you have a smooth paste or roux. Next, pour in the milk a little at a time until the flour and butter has dissolved in the milk and the sauce starts to thicken.

2) Add some grated Parmigiano, salt, lemon zest and chopped dill/ fennel fronds to the béchamel and continue stirring until the cheese has melted. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the stracchino. Use a hand held blender to cream the béchamel and stracchino until you have a smooth sauce.

Assemble your salmon and asparagus lasagna.

1) Spread a layer of béchamel over the bottom of a rectanglar oven dish and place lasagne sheets on top.

2) Cover the first layer of pasta with some more béchamel, then poached salmon, cooked shrimps (if using) and pieces of asparagus. Repeat this step 2-3 times more depending on the size and depth of your dish. I used a 34cm x 24cm ceramic baking dish (approx 13" x 9").

3) Cover the last layer of pasta sheets with asparagus spears and shrimp. I don't put salmon here to prevent it getting overcooked and dry.

4) Finally pour over some more béchamel and cover with grated Parmigiano and a few pieces of butter..

Bake and serve your lasagne al forno.

Bake the lasagna in a preheated oven at 180°c ( 356°F) until the top is slightly browned about 20-25 minutes. Be careful that the asparagus spears don't burn. Let the lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before portioning and serving.

What to do with leftovers.

You can keep leftover salmon and asparagus lasagna sealed in the fridge for up to 2 days. I like to reheat it in the microwave but you can also reheat in the oven covered with aluminium foil. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.

Let me know what you think.

I love to make this poached salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno during the spring when asparagus are in season. It makes a beautiful addition to meals celebrating Spring occasions like Easter or Mother's Day.

If you make this lasagna recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. So, please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Buon appetito!

Other asparagus, shrimp or salmon recipes on The Pasta Project.

1. North Italian asparagus pasta recipe
2. Shrimp and asparagus farfalle
3. Creamy smoked salmon pasta
4. Creamy lemon salmon pasta

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This recipe was originally published in 2018 but has been updated.

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