My 5 favorite mushrooms: Portabella: big meaty flavor. When grilled actually taste like meat. White button mushroom: versatile, mild flavor, very available Shiitake: gamier earthier flavor, a little more texture—chewier Royal trumpet: a more mineral flavor. Good for sautéing very elegant Maitake: good to build up bulk and flavor. Has a nutty flavor when sautéed.
Ingredients:
3 # assorted mushrooms, sliced to small pieces
2 shallots minced
1 cl garlic minced
1 small sprig fresh thyme leaves
4 T olive oil
2 t truffle oil
2 T butter
24 oz fresh spinach
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 qt milk
bay leaf, clove,
salt and pepper
6 oz gorgonzola
6 oz flour
6 oz butter
4 oz reggiano
6 pasta sheets 9x12
Saute first the garlic, then the shallots and then the mushrooms in hot olive oil. Let all the juice come out. Add some truffle oil and butter to give the mushroom juice some body. Set them aside.
Saute the fresh spinach in olive oil and set aside in a colander to drain.
Make béchamel by bringing milk and seasoning to a boil and whisking in the roux (flour and butter cooked together until lightly brown). Add the gorganzola.
Blanch fresh pasta sheets for a minute or two, more if dried pasta sheets are being used. Shock the pasta in cold water and drain. Pat dry with a clean towel.
Put about 4 oz of béchamel on the bottom of an ovenproof pan. Place one pasta sheet over the sauce. Then spoon out about 1/3 of the mushrooms with about 6 oz of béchamel. Spread it out to cover the mushrooms. Then another sheet of pasta. Place about 1/3 of the spinach on the sheet and spread the béchamel on top. Repeat the first two layers two more times until all the filling is used. Make sure that the last layer is topped with béchamel and then top with some grater reggiano and bake about 40 minutes at 375. Let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.