Lasagne al Pesto (Genoese Pesto Lasagne)
A Ligurian white lasagne with thin pasta sheets, pesto, silky white sauce, soft potato and green beans, baked until golden.
Made with White bechamel sauce and Basil pesto and Fresh egg pasta dough. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.08 a head
- Oven190°C (170°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Boil the potato slices in salted water for 5 minutes, adding the green beans for the last 3 minutes. Drain well and toss with the olive oil.
5 min - 2
Roll your ready made fresh pasta dough (see the base recipe) very thin on a semolina dusted surface, and cut into sheets that fit your 20 x 30 cm dish. Boil the sheets for 1 minute in salted water, lift out and lay on a clean tea towel.
1 min - 3
Warm your bechamel sauce (see the base recipe) and thin with a little hot pasta water. It should pour like double cream. Mix 3 tbsp into the pesto to loosen it.
- 4
Spread a thin layer of bechamel in the dish. Add a layer of pasta, then a third of the potato and beans, then spoon on some pesto and bechamel. Repeat to make 3 layers.
- 5
Finish with a top sheet of pasta, the last of the bechamel and the grated cheese.
- 6
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting so it holds its shape.
35 min
Tips
- Mix the pesto with a little bechamel before layering. Pesto straight on the pasta can turn oily in the oven.
- Slice the potatoes thin and even, about 3 mm, so they cook through at the same pace as the pasta.
- Use dried lasagne sheets if you do not want to roll fresh pasta. Soak or pre-cook them as the packet says.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 90 minutes. Keeps 3 days in the fridge, covered. Freeze in portions for up to 2 months. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Is this lasagne vegetarian?
The lasagne uses a vegetarian hard cheese, but traditional pesto contains parmesan made with animal rennet. Make your pesto with a vegetarian Italian style hard cheese if you need it fully vegetarian.
Can I use shop bought sheets?
Yes. Use 250 g fresh or dried no pre-cook lasagne sheets in place of the home made pasta. Dried sheets need a little extra bechamel or water to soften while baking.
More made with white bechamel sauce
Lasagne al Pesto (Ligurian Pesto Lasagne with Green Beans)
Papoutsakia (Greek Stuffed Aubergine Shoes with Beef and Bechamel)
EFNFNidi di Tagliatelle al Forno (Baked Tagliatelle Nests)
NFLasagne Bianca ai Funghi e Spinaci (Mushroom and Spinach White Lasagne)
NFDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.