Doenjang Lasagna

If you’re having family or friends over for a casual Sunday supper and want to prepare something easy but impressive, this doenjang lasagna is for you. Not only is it satisfying and delicious, but it’s also a dish you can make ahead and reheat right before your guests arrive.

Doenjang is a Korean fermented soybean paste and because it has a funk that reminds me of parmesan cheese, it works so well in this bechamel white sauce. And there’s no better way to use up all of summer’s gorgeous zucchini than to slice them thin and layer them up with tons of garlic, a touch of lemon juice, and mozzarella cheese.

Since the dish is so creamy and savory, I highly recommend serving the lasagna with a simple tomato salad, seasoned up with a touch of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Or if you happen to have these silky tomato pickles in your fridge, they would work beautifully as well! 😊

Doenjang Lasagna (4 servings)

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 5 medium zucchini (mix of yellow and green), thinly sliced on a mandolin or with a knife on the diagonal
• 4 TBSP butter
• 7-8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lemon

For the béchamel doenjang sauce:

• 6 TBSP butter (about 85 grams)
• 3 TBSP all-purpose flour (about 45 grams)
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 TBSP doenjang
• 2 TBSP mirin
• Salt & pepper to taste

For the assembly:

• 1 pack of pre-cooked lasagna pasta sheets*
• 8 oz ball of mozzarella, sliced
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Black pepper to taste

Step 1. In a large pan over medium high heat, melt butter. Add zucchini. After a minute when the juices are starting to release from the zucchini, add garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until zucchini is slightly translucent but not completely cooked through. Turn off heat and set aside. You may need to work in two batches depending on how big your pan is.

Step 2. In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk to combine, gently cooking to remove raw flour flavor, about 2 minutes. Whisk milk slowly into the pan, starting with a splash and eventually. Add doenjang and mirin, stirring to combine. Taste and season up with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. The béchamel sauce should be liquid enough to ladle but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Step 3. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the now cooled zucchini. In a 9x13” baking dish, ladle sauce onto the bottom, followed by a layer of pasta, then zucchini. Repeat 4-5 times, finishing with zucchini, topped with mozzarella, a good layer of grated parmesan cheese, and black pepper.

Step 4. Cook lasagna uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and the inside is bubbling. Slice and enjoy with a simple side dish like sliced tomatoes or tomato pickles.

*Note: if you prefer regular lasagna sheets or to make your own from scratch, please do! The pre-cooked pasta sheets can be made more toothsome by soaking in cold water before layering but to make this recipe as easy as possible, I used the pasta out of the box. It’s delicious as is but feel free to experiment.