Asparagus-Ham Lasagna

Asparagus-Ham Lasagna (Adapted from Rachael Ray)

16 ounces asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 1" pieces
15 lasagna noodles
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup flour
4 1/2 cups milk
4 ounces (about 1 cup) fresh grated Asiago cheese
4 ounces (about 1 cup) fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg, divided
salt and fresh ground black pepper
8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham, cut into 1/2" ribbons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add asparagus and cook until just crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove asparagus to a bowl and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process.

Bring the water back to a boil - add noodles and cool until almost tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer noodles to a platter in a single layer.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add butter and melt over medium. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the onions and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss together Asiago and Parmesan cheese.

Remove sauce from the heat - stir in half of the Asiago-Parmesan mixture and half of the nutmeg. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Scoop about 1/3 cup of the sauce into a 9" x 13" baking dish coated with cooking spray, spreading to coat the bottom. Layer 3 noodles over the top, then drizzle over about 3/4 cup of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle a quarter of the ham, a quarter of the asparagus and 3 tablespoons of the remaining Asiago-Parmesan mixture over the top. Repeat the layering process three more times. Top with the remaining noodles, cheese sauce, Asiagio-Parmesan mixture and nutmeg. Cover dish with foil and bake until thoroughly heated through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes about 6 to 8 servings.

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