Lasagne with Turkey and Caramelized Onions

I found this recipe deep in my archives: it's one of the first recipes I typed on one of my first Macs. I didn't bother to write down where it's from, but my friend Google tells me it's from Sunset of April 1991. The recipe as written originally is designed to cut back on fat (low-fat being the trend of the day), despite the bacon. I added a bit of butter to make a béchamel rather than the cornstarch-thickened sauce they suggested. I also added some wine for additional flavor.

The resulting lasagne is delicious: it tastes nothing like a classic lasagne, of course, but more like Schwäbische Maultaschen, if you've ever had those. The onion and wine flavors dominate, while the meat and cheese add some richness. It's not a low-calorie dish by any means, but it's a bit more restrained than the kind of lasagne that involves two pounds of cheese and a creamy béchamel. And I imagine you could swap the meat out for some mushrooms to make it a vegetarian dish.

Here's my version of the recipe.

Lasagne with Roasted Onions, Turkey, and Thyme

1-1/2 lbs. red onions, peeled and sliced thin

4 oz. bacon, diced

2 large branches fresh thyme or 1 t. dried

1 lb. ground turkey or veal

3 T. balsamic vinegar

9 no-cook lasagne noodles

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 t. nutmeg

1 c. milk

1 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. dry white wine, vermouth, or sherry plus some extra for the pan

1 bay leaf

4 oz. grated Parmesan (I used about 2 cups of grated cheese leftovers: Gouda, Cantal, and Parmesan)

Heat the oven to 400. Toss together the onions and bacon with some salt and pepper on a baking sheet or baking dish that's just big enough to hold them (if it's too big, the onions are likely to burn). Roast, stirring every 15 minutes or so, about 35-50 minutes, or until well browned. Add the thyme and turkey and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, just until the turkey turns white. Add the vinegar and stir well, crumbling up the meat. Set aside. Turn the oven temperature down to 375.

While the onion part is cooking, make your béchamel: in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; whisk for about a minute to cook the flour. Gradually pour in the milk, broth, wine, and bay leaf, whisking to avoid lumps. Heat and stir until the sauce is thickened. This is a fairly loose sauce: you need some extra liquid for the lasagne noodles. Remove the bay leaf when you're ready to assemble the lasagne.

To assemble the lasagne, generously butter a 9-inch square pan and sprinkle the bottom with 2-3 T. white wine. Put 3 lasagne noodles on the wine and top with half the meat/onion mixture, a third of the sauce, and a third of the cheese. Repeat the noodle/meat/sauce/cheese layers and finish with a layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the cheese. Lay a square of parchment over the cheese, then cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Take off the foil and parchment and bake another 15-20 minutes, until the top is brown and the casserole is bubbling. If you can, wait 10 minutes before you serve the lasagne: it will be much easier to cut. Enjoy with a green salad or vegetable.