Dan Puskas’s mushroom lasagne

1.Soak porcini mushrooms in 750ml (3 cups) boiling water until soft (30 minutes); drain, reserving liquid.

2.Meanwhile, working in batches, use a food processor and the pulse button to finely chop button mushrooms.

3.Heat half the olive oil in a deep frying pan over high heat. Cook half the button and porcini mushrooms, stirring, until browned and tender (6 minutes); transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and mushrooms. Add butter to pan, reduce heat to medium and use a wooden spoon to scrape the pan of any caramelised bits. Add celeriac, celery, carrot, onion, sage and porcini powder; cook, stirring until softened (8 minutes). Add tomato paste and mushrooms; mix well. Add wine and simmer until almost evaporated. Add reserved porcini liquid and 500ml (2 cups) of the stock. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until well reduced (15 minutes). Add remaining stock and simmer until the consistency of a meat sauce (25-30 minutes).

4.Divide pasta dough in half. Working with one piece at a time, flatten then roll through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and dusting with extra flour. Fold in half and repeat until pasta is smooth and silky, then continue rolling and folding, reducing the settings notch by notch until dough is 2mm thick. Cut dough into eight sheets and set aside on a lightly floured tray.

5.Meanwhile, to make béchamel sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until bubbling (1 minute). Remove from heat, gradually whisk in milk until combined. Simmer over low heat, stirring, until thick and smooth (5 minutes). Add 125gm of the parmesan, pepper and nutmeg. Season with salt. Set aside until needed.

6.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 4-litre ovenproof dish. Spread one quarter of the mushroom mixture in base of dish. Top with a quarter of the pasta sheets, trimming to fit then a quarter of the béchamel. Repeat with remaining sauce, pasta and béchamel to make four layers of each, finishing with béchamel. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbling (1 hour). Cut into squares and serve.