Ham and cheese lasagna with peas and béchamel sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 40 g Flour, equivalent to 4 tbsp
• 600 ml milk
• 200 ml cream
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• 300 g peas, frozen, thawed
• 100 g cooked ham, diced
• 75 g Parmesan, grated
• 1 tsp marjoram, dried, or 1/2 bunch fresh, chopped
• 300 g lasagna sheet(s) without pre-cooking
• 200 g Emmental cheese, grated
• Fat for the mold

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Preheat the oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat). Melt the butter and sweat the flour for 1-2 minutes until translucent. Gradually add 400ml of milk and the cream, whisking vigorously. Add the bay leaf and simmer the sauce over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If it is too thick, add more milk. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the diced ham and peas to the hot béchamel sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the marjoram, remove from the heat, and season with pepper. Mix the Parmesan with 100g of the Emmental cheese. Grease a baking dish. Spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Alternate layers of pasta, sauce, and Parmesan-Emmental mixture, top with the sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Emmental cheese. Bake for about 30 – 35 minutes, or longer if necessary, until the cheese has formed a golden crust.