Lasagne alla Ligure - Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans

Lasagne alla Ligure is a delicious baked pasta dish from the Liguria region in Northern Italy. Unlike the classic lasagna Bolognese made with meat ragù, this Ligurian version features layers of fresh basil pesto, tender green beans, sliced potatoes, béchamel sauce, and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano.

This Italian pesto lasagna is inspired by the traditional flavors of pasta alla Ligure, where pesto is often combined with potatoes and green beans. You can prepare it with either fresh or dried lasagna sheets. And if you’d like to make fresh pasta from scratch, we’ll guide you step by step.

While the pasta rests (if making it fresh), you’ll cook the vegetables and prepare a homemade pesto alla Genovese — the authentic Ligurian recipe. Then you’ll make a smooth béchamel sauce to tie everything together.

Once all the elements are ready, simply layer them in a baking dish: lasagna sheets, pesto, green beans, potatoes, béchamel, and grated Parmigiano. Repeat until everything is used up, then bake until golden and bubbling.

This Ligurian lasagna is comforting, full of flavor, and naturally vegetarian. It’s a great alternative to meat-based lasagna and perfect for a cozy family dinner or a summer gathering. Give it a try — everyone loves it!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Make the Layers
• Storage
• Lasagne alla Ligure: FAQs
• Recipe Card

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Ingredients

Prep Time: 45 Min | Cook Time: 1 Hour | Servings: 4-6

Doses for a 25x20 cm (10x8 inch) baking dish

For Lasagna

• ~12 lasagna sheets: you can make fresh homemade lasagna sheets following our step by step recipe: how to make Homemade Pasta
• Or you can buy authentic Italian flat lasagna, oven ready (no boiling necessary), made with durum wheat (we recommend Tuscanini brand)

For Bèchamel Sauce

• 500 ml (~2 cups) fresh whole milk
• 50 g (1.8 oz ) unsalted butter
• 50 g (1.8 oz) all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon of fine salt

Pesto Ingredients

• 50 g of basil leaves (about 60-65 leaves)
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 70 g (½ cup) Parmigiano Reggiano
• 30 g (2 tablespoons) Pecorino Fiore Sardo
• 2 peeled garlic cloves
• 15 g (1 tablespoon) pine nuts
• 4 or 5 grains of coarse salt
• ice

Other Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) of green beans
• 2 medium potatoes
• 200 g (1 cup) of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

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Instructions

Make Pesto alla Genovese

Step 1) - To make Ligurian Lasagna, first prepare the pesto. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Wash the basil leaves in cold water. Place them in a large bowl with plenty of ice for 3-4 minutes. This will make your pesto super green!

Step 2) - Now dry the leaves VERY WELL on a kitchen towel. Place them in a food processor with the garlic, pine nuts and grated Parmigiano cheese.

Step 3) - Coarsely chop the ingredients for a few seconds. Add the salt and the grated Pecorino Fiore Sardo cheese. Mix all the ingredients together for about 1 minute.

Add the extra virgin olive oil. Blend for about 5 minutes until the pesto is ready, green and creamy!

TIP: pesto should not get hot, so use the food processor at the lowest speed and in pulses, that is, blend for a few seconds, stop and start again.

For more information, tips and tricks, read our pesto recipe.

Make the Bechamel Sauce

Now you're ready to make the béchamel sauce, which you can refrigerate for up to 3 days (if you're not using it right away). For the complete recipe with more details, information, and tips, read How to Make Bechamel Sauce.

Step 1) - Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and add the flour - using a sieve - whisking quickly.

Cook for 30 seconds/1 minute, stirring, so that the flour becomes more flavorful and absorbs the fat from the butter.

The mixture of butter and flour is called roux and should turn a nice golden color.

Step 2) - Slowly pour the warm milk over the roux, stirring well with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming.

Continue stirring and cook until you reach a fairly thick consistency (about 10 to 15 minutes).

The sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. Finally, taste and add a pinch of fine salt to taste.

If you used a whisk and stirred at supersonic speed, there should be no lumps in the sauce. If there are lumps, use an immersion blender to whisk the sauce until the lumps dissolve.

Cook the Vegetables

Step 1) - Now cook the vegetables. Peel and halve the potatoes. Wash the green beans and cut off the ends.

Place the potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water. Bring the water to a boil. When it boils, add the green beans and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

When vegetables are cooked, drain and set aside.

Make the Layers

Step 2) - Now prepare the pesto béchamel sauce. In a bowl, add the pesto to the béchamel sauce and mix. Set aside.

Step 3) - Spread a little pesto béchamel sauce on a baking dish, then add enough lasagna to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with another layer of pesto béchamel sauce.

Step 4) - Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of Parmigiano cheese. Then add some roughly chopped potatoes and green beans, covering the entire surface.

Cover with another lasagna and start again: pesto sauce and béchamel sauce - parmigiano cheese - green beans and potatoes (repeat).

Continue making layers until all the ingredients are finished, or at least until the baking dish is full.

Bake and Serve

Step 5) - Top with a sheet of lasagna, a layer of pesto béchamel sauce and plenty of grated Parmigiano cheese.

Cover lasagne alla ligure with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for 20 minutes.

Step 6) - Remove the aluminum foil and finish cooking in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Allow Ligurian Lasagna to cool to room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

YOU MUST ALSO TRY:

• Spinach Lasagna Recipe
• Italian Green Bean Casserole | Polpettone alla Ligure
• Linguine al Pesto with Red Shrimp Tartare and Lemon
• Vegetable Lasagna

Storage

You can store lasagna with pesto, green beans, and potatoes in the refrigerator for a few days. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Refrigerated lasagna should be eaten within 3 to 4 days. When ready to serve, reheat it in the oven or microwave until hot all the way through.

Lasagne alla Ligure: FAQs

Recipe Card