Edible Memoir

If there is one dish that is consistently requested at every juncture of life, it’s this lasagna. My cousin even requested I make it for her wedding reception, I’ll never know if she was joking or not. Either way, I did make it for the newly weds immediately after the wedding. Looking back, I’m fairly certain they postponed their honeymoon specifically so I could make this dish for them. It’s the first thing they ask about whenever they announce a visit to town. At this rate, I should probably research vacuum-sealing techniques and overnight shipping options to save them the trip.

The story behind this lasagna goes further back than my own creation, it actually starts in the winding, cobblestoned, fish-tossing streets of one of Seattle’s greatest pastimes, Pike Place Market. When tourists plot their Seattle adventures, they invariably check off the same attractions, our very own UFO the Space Needle, the bustling labyrinth of Pike Place Market, and more recently, some Amazon-related wonder or another, perhaps the spheres or their gleaming waterfront campus on South Lake Union. If you thought hiking would be on that list, think again, it’s not a pastime, it’s torture disguised as recreation. Nevertheless, we do have a beautiful cityscape surrounded by water and a mountainous terrain, providing the perfect background for the Seattle bucket-list I mentioned above.

Although these spots admittedly scream “tourist traps”, sometimes there’s wisdom in crowds. Occasionally, I deliberately lose myself in the market’s winding corridors (coincidentally buying a half-dozen donut holes from one of my favorite food stalls) or walk around South Lake Union’s waterfront, reminiscing on the endless warehouses and factories that were paved over for Amazon’s tech utopia. These small, little pilgrimages reconnect me with the magic of this Emerald city I’m fortunate enough to call home. The market itself is sprawling, with multiple levels of tchotchke shops, food stalls serving local fare, and vendors hawking everything from handmade jewelry to impossibly large bouquets that cost less than you’d expect. But tucked away, beyond where most visitors venture, down a hallway, and around an unexpected corner, lies what might be my favorite pasta in all of Seattle, at Pasta Casalinga.

It’s not quite a restaurant as it shares an open space with other Pike Place Market restaurants, it hosts a balcony that looks down into the brightly lit stairway that leads to somewhere I do not know. It’s small by every meaning of the word because every time I visit this little haven the line is long and there is almost not enough seating. But what this hidden gem lacks in space, it more than makes up for in flavor. The kitchen creates fresh pasta daily, pairing it with sauces and fillings that truly celebrates whatever PNW ingredients that are at their seasonal peak. While their menu transforms weekly, two standout creations have earned permanent residency, the rustic comfort of Pasta Rossodoro and the sublime perfection of their Lasagna Casalinga.

This isn’t your nonna’s lasagna, because this lasagna breaks tradition in a fundamental way. Unlike the classic Italian version with its layers of red sauce, their interpretation centers solely on a velvety besciamella. The first time I tried this lasagna, I was struck speechless. I had already sampled many of their rotating menu items, never thinking to order something as seemingly ordinary as lasagna, but on my mother’s insistence, I took that first bite and was transported somewhere else, maybe down those mysterious stairs to who knows where. Before that moment, lasagna was never on my mind. Sure, I had made the red sauce variety a few times, each time reminding me why I didn’t cook or order it often. But after tasting Pasta Casalinga’s béchamel lasagna, I was hooked, it was going to be lasagna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the foreseeable future. Red sauce be damned, I was a non-traditional, besciamella lasagna loving girl from that point on, but please ask your nonna if I can still come to dinner.

Reflecting on my culinary repertoire, I’ve realized that many of my signature dishes begin as homages to restaurant dishes that’s been taking up some precious real estate in my memory. They say imitation represents the sincerest form of flattery, and perhaps there’s profound truth in that cliché. After all, in the realm of cooking, as in all creative pursuits, everything builds upon what came before. True artistry lies not in inventing something entirely new (but kudos to you if you reinvent the wheel), but in reimagining the familiar through your own unique perspective.

My recipe is obviously not Pasta Casalinga’s recipe, as I’m sure they have that hidden away behind a lock and a key. What I’ve developed instead is a personal interpretation that began with rudimentary research (Google searches like “what exactly is béchamel?” and “foolproof béchamel techniques”), blah, dee, blah, blah, but has evolved through countless iterations into something distinctly mine. What started as an attempt to recreate a Pike Place Market treasure has evolved into a signature dish that marks special occasions in my family. It’s become my signature contribution to birthdays, holidays, and those special gatherings where food serves as both sustenance and celebration. Each time I make it, I tweak something small, a little more nutmeg here, a different layering technique there. The recipe has grown alongside me, changing subtly as my tastes and techniques have developed. But the root, the foundation always remains the same.

The base of my Lasagna Besciamella Emilia goes as follows:

Edible Elements

• Lasagna noodles – there are some precooked ones which is good, or do a quick par-boil so that noodles come out soft and not extremely al dente in the end
• Italian sausage (sweet or spicy) — sometimes I buy store bought, but I like to make my own mixture because you can control the seasonings
• Mushrooms – I like cremini and baby bella
• Peas – usually just buy a bag of frozen, its an easy green to throw in meals
• Frozen spinach – its easier than fresh, fresh spinach would add an extra step of cooking down
• Half & Half &/or Heavy Whipping Cream – choose whichever, you can even use milk if you want, depending on how rich you want the sauce to be
• Zest of 1 Lemon –
• Ricotta (One Container)
• Parmesan Cheese (pre-shredded or block) – pre-shredded is definitely faster and easier to work with but a block is fresh, it melts down better, and it more bang for you buck
• Mozarella Cheese – you can buy this shredded or you can go through the tedious task of shredding it by hand, your choice
• Fresh garlic – this ingredient and the following spices are for the sausage mixture and for the béchamel
• Dried Basil
• Dried Oregano
• Dried Thyme
• Dried Rosemary
• Fresh or dried Sage – this is for the sausage and for the sauce, I have a large sage bush growing in my garden so I always use a heavy hand with this ingredient
• Dried Fennel Seeds – lots of it, this is the base spice; this lasagna should technically be called, fennel béchamel lasagna
• Salt & Pepper
• Nutmeg – every béchamel needs nutmeg, otherwise its not béchamel
• Red Pepper Flakes – to your own spice level obviously
• Butter – for the roux
• Olive Oil – to cook the sausage mixture
• Flour – the thickener of the roux

Creating this lasagna requires neither professional equipment nor advanced culinary training, (which is good because I have neither.) It only requires patience, attention, and a genuine love for the process. Besciamella sauce needs constant attention because there is just way too many things that can go wrong. If you screw up the roux, then you’re truly screwed. The sauce can split. You can accidentally not add enough seasoning, you could actually add too much salt, you can make it too gloopy, or maybe the sauce won’t thicken for you. The risk of pitfalls is endless but so worth it in the end.

So while I can’t promise this Lasagna Besciamella Emilia will fundamentally alter your existence, I can attest to how it’s enriched mine. It’s become more than food, it’s a vehicle for connection, perhaps a tradition in the making, and maybe a small piece of personal heritage worthy of passing down. And should your travels ever bring you to Seattle, make time for the winding pathways of Pike Place Market. Seek out the hidden corridor leading to Pasta Casalinga. Order whatever seasonal creation calls to you, but remember to save room for their lasagna.